The Sky's the Limit
by thepal33
Summary: Skye Kell was your regular pilot, going through life without complications or drama. When reunited with her brother, Fox McCloud, not only does she have plenty of complications, but LOTS of drama. Especially with Star Fox's ace pilot, Falco Lombardi. How will our girl handle this mess?
1. Chapter 1

_Geez… What a headache…_ I thought as I slowly came to. My body was heavy and my arm and head were throbbing in pain. I took my time sitting up.

"Easy now," said a hare from beside me. "You've been through a lot."

The hare checked my vitals. I was having a hard time remembering what had happened to me…

"You're awfully calm," he said suddenly. "Are you alright? Do you hurt anywhere?"

I nodded. "I have a splitting headache. And my arm…"

He went to work getting some pain meds in me.

I looked around the room. It looked like a hospital room all except for the feeling that we were moving. "Where am I?"

"You're aboard the Great Fox," he said as he moved to a chair beside my bed. "We found you captured on Titania with our friend Slippy. We couldn't leave you behind."

That name… I shook it off thinking it was just a coincidence.

I smiled. "Believe me, I appreciate the save."

"May I ask how you got there?"

"Wolf O'Donnell," I snarled out. "He and his lackeys found me and shot me down. The bastard…" A realization hit me. "My fighter! Please tell me it's not completely destroyed!"

"It's okay," the hare assured me. "Your fighter is being repaired as we speak. Everything is fine. And you are perfectly safe with us." He got up from the chair and went to an intercom by the door. "Fox, she's up when you're ready to see her."

"I'm on my way," said another voice over the com.

The hare came back to me. "My name is Peppy, by the way."

I stiffened. I knew him but he didn't seem to recognize me.

"I'm Skye Kell."

He froze at the sound of my name and stared at me for a moment.

"You're… Are you…" He couldn't seem to get his words out. "Your father," He finally got out.

I wasn't sure what he was trying to say, but I tried to answer him. "My father's name is James McCloud. I am his only daughter. I also have a brother named-"

"Fox," he finished for me.

Just then, someone walked in. Coming into the room was none other than my older brother. He was the spitting image of my father. At least, what I remember of him…

Fox eyed me thoughtfully then came up to me. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine, thank you. I'm just glad that I'm alive."

"I'm happy to hear it." He turned to Peppy. "We're going to need you soon, Peppy. We'll be coming up on the next planet in a little while."

Peppy nodded to him. He turned his attention back to me. "As for you, you are welcome to roam the Great Fox as you please."

"Thanks," I replied simply.

He left the room after that.

I was a little disappointed. "He didn't know me…?"

Peppy shook his head. "I think he did. He just didn't want to say anything." He moved to help me out of the bed. "Well, you heard him. Stretch your legs for a bit while we're gone. ROB pilots the ship for us so you have nothing to worry about."

I followed him out to the bridge of the ship. Fox, a bird, a toad, as well as the robot called ROB were all there. The toad hopped up as soon as he saw me.

"You're awake! Thank goodness you're not hurt!" He came up to me and shook my hand. "My name's Slippy. What's yours?"

I smiled at him. "I'm Skye. It's nice to meet you." I glanced over to the bird sitting down. He looked at me for a moment then "hmphed" and turned away.

"Don't mind him," Slippy said. "That's Falco."

"It's time to go, team," Fox said. "Let's move out. Skye, I'm sorry but-"

"Don't worry about me," I interrupted. "I'll man the fort while you guys are fighting evil."

Fox smiled and nodded at me then went off to the docking bay. Slippy, Falco and Peppy were close behind him. After they had gone off to do their thing, I went to see the damage done to my ship. They had already started trying to repair it but, I decided to save them the trouble and repair the rest myself.

A little bit later, the team came back. I was still making repairs under my ship when someone tapped my foot.

"Yo," they said. "Need any help?"

"I… I think I'm okay," I grunted out.

"That doesn't sound too promising. Are you sure you're-"

As he was saying that, I managed to smash my finger. I let out a yelp. As soon as I did, they pulled me out from underneath my ship and put me on my feet. Come to find out, it was Falco who was talking to me. He took my hand and looked at my finger.

"It doesn't look too bad," he said. "You have to be more careful."

"I'm surprised," I said harshly. "Considering how you acted toward me earlier, I didn't think you liked me very much."

He froze at that then his look turned sour. "Well excuse me for showing a little bit of concern."

I took my hand away from him. "Don't bother. I don't need what sympathy you have to offer. Thanks anyway."

I turned away from him and went back to work on my ship. He got frustrated when I stopped paying attention to him and he let me be. I worked on my ship a little more. When I decided it was time for a break, I went back to the bridge to meet up with Star Fox.

"Skye, how bad was your ship?" Peppy asked me.

"It wasn't too damaged. A few dents in the side but it will survive." I looked outside to see where we were. I was shocked to see how close we were to Venom. "Where are you all going anyway?"

"We're going to face Andross," Fox said without looking at me.

"Really? Saving the galaxy are we?" I asked jokingly.

When he didn't answer me, I knew he wasn't kidding.

"But that's suicide," I protested. "I know that it would be one less menace in the galaxy but still…"

"Oh, is Miss Independent all worried over little ol' us?" Falco teased.

I shot him a dirty look. "Not over you, bird. You just irritate me."

I heard Slippy start to chuckle in his seat. Peppy tried his best to hold back a laugh but it was quite obvious that he wanted to. Fox just smiled. Falco turned on me quickly.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Falco said heatedly. "We saved your happy ass from that thing that had you on Titania and you have the nerve to-"

"That's enough Falco," Fox intervened. "You two just met and you're already at each other's throats."

"Yes," I concurred. "Amazing isn't it? Who knew that someone so infuriating could be in existence?"

I walked away at that. What a jerk… How could one person make me so angry?

I went back to my ship to finish the repairs. As soon as I was done, Fox had gone on the com to ask me to come to the bridge. I went without question and saw where we were.

"You guys are taking out Venom's defense outpost?" I asked.

"Yes. And I wanted to know if you'll come with us," Fox said.

The team was surprised. I could hardly believe he was asking me to come with them.

"You mean it?" I asked.

He nodded. "Your ship is repaired, isn't it?"

"Absolutely."

"Then it's settled. You're coming on this mission with us."

"Hold on a second," Falco objected. "She hasn't been with us for one day and you're asking her to go on a mission with us. Who is to say that she's even a good pilot?"

My anger flared at that comment. "Oh believe me bird, I could take you down faster than you could see who was shooting at you. My fighter is top of the line, much like your arwings. Don't think that just because I'm a woman, automatically makes me defenseless."

He shrugged. "I don't remember ever mentioning the fact that you're a woman. But if you want to go that far…"

"Enough you two!" Peppy bellowed. "Now is not the time to be arguing. We need to get to Andross and the only way to do that is to take down that defense post. Put aside your differences until this mission is over. Do I make myself clear?"

Falco and I exchanged glances. I nodded to Peppy.

"Tell me where you want me."


	2. Chapter 2

All of us took to space in our fighters toward the Bolse defense post. Peppy, Slippy, Falco and I were to back up Fox as he took down the six energy towers. It seemed easy enough. It didn't take long for Fox to take them out. As soon as the force field disappeared though, more ships came spewing out.

"Oh no…" I murmured.

"Stay on your toes guys!" Fox told us. "Take down as many as you can!"

I did as he asked, taking down as many bogeys as I could while making sure the boys weren't getting shot down. I even got a bogey off of Falco's back. He simply said "thanks" and went back to work. A few moments later, things got even stickier.

"Play time is over, Star Fox," echoed the familiar rumble of Wolf O'Donnell.

"I think I'll torture you for awhile," Leon Powalski said.

"Daddy screamed REAL good before he died," Pigma Dengar rubbed in our faces.

Andrew joined in. "You'll be sorry you crossed us!"

Fox got on the com. "We have to take them out first. It's the only chance we have to take this outpost down."

"You won't get any argument from me," I told him.

Wolf patched himself in. "Well, well, if it isn't Skye Kell back from the dead."

"Save it, Wolf. I'm not the one going down this time. I promise you that."

He laughed. "Promises are usually broken, Kell. Now, be a good girl and stay down this time."

Wolf began to shoot at me but I went into defensive maneuvers. One by one, his teammates went down. He was the last. Fox went in behind me to quickly take him down then finished off the core of the outpost. The outpost exploded into oblivion. Fox flew up beside me.

"You alright?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I'm glad we could give Star Wolf some payback."

He looked to his team then back to the planet ahead of us. "Venom, here we come."

We flew straight toward Venom with no intent on stopping. This was the biggest mission yet for Star Fox. I could tell it was hitting home for Fox. This wasn't just about taking down a menace to the Lylat System, it was about avenging dad. He wasn't going to let revenge cloud his judgment but, I knew he was ready to put this behind him and move forward. This was justice. I didn't know dad as well as he did but, I could sympathize. I was ready for my brother and my father to have peace.

We flew in and were immediately headed off by fighters. It was a minefield of lasers and bombs and shooting… I was amazed we had made it through. All of a sudden we all could hear Andross in our heads.

"You'll never defeat me," he said.

I tried to focus. He was relentless on me. I was about to pull back when Fox radioed us.

"I go it alone from here."

"Fox!" Slippy cried.

"Are you nuts?" I said. "You can't-"

"I have to, Skye. I'll come back in one piece. You'll see."

He flew into the tunnel to take on Andross, leaving Slippy, Peppy, Falco and me behind. I was lost.

"What now?" I asked the boys.

"We go back to the Great Fox and wait," Peppy said.

I followed them up and waited. A few minutes had passed and I was losing my patience. Just when I thought I couldn't stand to wait any longer, Fox flew up to join us. Before I could welcome him back, out of the corner of my eye, I saw another arwing fly up. I looked over to see dad in the cockpit. He gave me a two-fingered salute then flew off. Rather than be surprised, I was thankful. I smiled to myself.

"Thanks for bringing him back, dad," I whispered. "Maybe we'll meet again."

I pulled up beside Fox and noticed he was looking around the empty space, hoping he wasn't imagining what he just witnessed. I wanted to let him know he wasn't crazy and wanted to tell him who I was.

I rigged the com so the others couldn't hear us talk.

"So, you saw him too?" I asked him.

He looked over to me from his cockpit.

"You're not crazy, Fox," I assured him. "I'm glad dad brought you back safely to us. It's been too long not knowing if you were happy and safe or not."

I saw him smirk.

"I agree. It's good to have you, little sister."

I was shocked.

"You knew?"

He nodded. "Yes. As soon as I saw you after we helped you on Titania, I knew. I didn't want to say anything and I didn't want everyone else to know."

"Peppy knows it's me, Fox. Of course, he didn't put two and two together until I told him my name. That should tell you how long it's been since he's seen me." I sighed. "Look, I just want you to know that I wasn't looking for you. I was told not to and I kept to that order. I'm usually piloting a cargo ship that delivers supplies from planet to planet. It just happened that I was on my way back to Corneria when I was shot down by Wolf. It was chance that you found me on Titania and it was fortuitous that we are reunited after all this time. I never came looking for you. Not once."

"I believe you. I honestly was none the wiser." He paused. "So… What now?"

"I'll leave that up to you. Since this little side-mission is over, I would like to go home and relax before my employer changes his mind. And my roommate would like to hear from me eventually."

He laughed. "Maybe we'll see each other again sometime."

"One day, older brother," I promised. "But for now…" I fixed the com so that the rest of the team could hear me. "Well boys, this is where we part ways."

"Already?" Slippy whined.

"That's too bad," Falco said sarcastically. "You were finally growing on me. I was really hoping for a decent friendship."

"Aww, Falco, you're too kind," I replied to his quip. "I'll miss you too. Don't worry, Slippy. We'll meet again someday."

"Good luck to you, Skye," Peppy said.

I nodded to him and flew off toward home.

I dropped my ship off at the port like I usually did, waving at most of the workers that I knew on first-name basis. I hopped into my vehicle and headed toward my apartment. It was nice to be home after all that had happened. As soon as I walked in and announced myself, I was welcomed by my roommate and best friend, Hara.

I had met Hara a few years ago while I did construction. Hara was one of the big-wigs that oversaw some of the buildings. She's also the event planner for most of the military functions around the city. She was a beautiful feline. You know, the kind of person you would never think in a million years would talk to you because you thought they weren't hanging with "your type of crowd". She was anything but that. Yes, she had every right to be confident since she carried herself like she was worth a million bucks. I found out that's what kept people from talking to her. She would eat lunch by herself and such when she would come to survey the progress on the site I was working on. I finally had the courage to go talk to her one day and we've been friends ever since. Soon after, we moved in together and it was perfect.

"Welcome home," she called. "How was everything?"

I smiled at her. It was so good to see her after all the craziness that had happened.

"Girl, I have so much to tell you," I said excitedly.

We sat down and I told her everything that had happened with the Star Fox team. I had even admitted to her who Fox really was. She was amazed.

"I can't believe it," she murmured. "You and the leader of Star Fox… Siblings… It's almost too good to be true. And seeing your father…"

I shrugged. "I'll be honest, I'm having a hard time believing it myself. I'm tempted to just write it off as an apparition. If that was the case though, Fox and I were seeing the same one."

Hara giggled. "Tell me more about the other members. You mentioned Falco then got a dreamy look on your face. Care to explain?"

I instantly got embarrassed. "I didn't have a dreamy look! Yeah, he was attractive and his bad-boy personality was kind of hot but, in the end, he just irritated me. He's so not the type that I would be chasing after."

"Yeah, okay," she teased. "And Slippy and Peppy?"

"Slippy is a sweet kid. Peppy on the other hand… I guess he figured he would never see me again."

Hara gave me an apologetic look. She knew everything about me. As soon as I told her about Peppy, she knew the connection. Peppy was the one who separated me and Fox when we were kids then came to see me when dad died. I had never seen or heard from him again. At least, not until recently.

"Don't look at me like that," I scolded her. "It's really alright. Peppy will eventually get over it and Fox will go on with his life like he always has."

"And you're okay with this?" Hara asked, skepticism heavy in her voice.

"Yep. I'll work and keep myself busy in the meantime. Hopefully nothing too crazy will happen for a while."

It would seem I had spoken too soon… I got a call early in the morning a few days later from the Cornerian Flight Academy to fill in for one of the teachers. When I wasn't doing deliveries, I substituted for any of the core classes at the academy whenever they needed me. It was extra money and kept me out of trouble. Mostly.

While walking through the halls, I turned the corner and almost ran into someone. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I realized who it was.

"Fox!" I cried. "What in the world are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing," he replied.

"You first."

"I guest speak every now and again," he explained, crossing his arms. "I get requests to come and speak in front of the older kids when I'm not on mission. Your turn."

"I substitute teach when I'm not on deliveries sometimes. Just the core classes. You know, the ones that make or break you but you still manage to fall asleep in."

Fox laughed at that. "I've been there."

I smiled then cleared my throat. "In any case, I have to get to class."

I went to walk past him when he grabbed my arm.

"Wait a second, Skye. Have a coffee with me or something. I want to talk to you."

I shook my head. "We can't, Fox."

"Why not? We haven't seen each other in years."

"For a reason! Dad was trying to protect us!"

"We're old enough now, Skye. Why can't we catch up?"

I thought it over. It would be amazing to catch up with my older brother and get to know him as an adult. But at what cost? Would this come back to bite me in the ass later? Oh, what the hell…

"Alright. Coffee is fine. I get out in an hour."

Fox smiled. "I'll meet you in the lobby."

I nodded then went off to my class. The hour flew by and as soon as class ended, I found myself kind of excited to finally be around my brother. To finally talk to him about anything he wanted to know. It was exhilarating.

I found him pacing the lobby waiting for me. When he saw me, he stopped and smiled.

"Ready?"

I nodded. "Of course."

He drove us to a little coffee shop around the corner. Both of us ordered coffee to drink while I found a little pastry to nibble on while we talked. Fox had so many questions.

"So," he started. "Where did you go after Peppy separated us?"


	3. Chapter 3

"Where did you go after Peppy separated us?"

A good starter question. I broke off a piece of my pastry.

"I was taken to a family friend," I answered simply. "My life was pretty normal for the most part. I was dropped off and I didn't hear from Peppy until he came by to tell me that dad had died. After that, I never heard from him again. In fact, he didn't even recognize me when I came aboard your ship. That shows you how often he checked on my well-being."

He took a sip of his coffee as he thought of his next question.

"Did you go to the academy?"

"I did for a few years. Peppy told me to never try and contact you. When I started to get into the harder classes, I saw you all the time so, I dropped out. It was better that way."

Fox didn't like that answer.

"I'm not okay with the fact that you gave up on the academy because of me. I understand that you were doing what you were told. It still wasn't fair to you."

I took a sip of my coffee and shrugged. "You were the prodigal son. It was expected. And, believe me, it wasn't a big deal for me."

He seemed hurt by my words. "Do you really feel that way?"

I gently put my cup down. "Let's put it this way, Fox… Because of our separation, I didn't have to worry about following dad's footsteps. I didn't have to feel like I had something to live up to or try to surpass. I could simply live my life. And I did. I had everything to live for and nothing to hold me back or point me in a certain direction. I had freedom. I wouldn't change that even if I could. I say that only because, as you can see, even after I dropped out of the academy, I still became a pilot. I did construction to pay bills and that's how I met my best friend, Hara. I wouldn't change anything at all. Do I feel slighted? Maybe a little since I missed out on growing up beside my brother and not really knowing my father like I wish I could have. There are worse things and you're here with me now. That's all that matters."

Fox smiled at me. "I'm glad. Believe me when I say that I've missed you too."

I laughed. "That's all that you got out of that?" I took a bite of my pastry then continued. "So, you took over Star Fox. How is that going for you?"

"Very well actually. We're contracted by General Pepper quite often since the military can't cut corners and break rules like we can. And the pay is pretty nice."

I giggled. "And your team? Are they everything you hoped for?"

"They are the best there is," he boasted. "Peppy is talking about retirement already. I don't know if he'll go through with it anytime soon but, we'll see I guess. Slippy is young but he's a good friend. Falco is honestly the best pilot we have. He used to be the leader of his own gang before he joined."

"That doesn't surprise me," I snorted. "Which group?"

"The Hot-rodders."

"I've heard of them. That explains his stellar personality…"

"He really is a good person, Skye. He gets a little prickly with new people to size them up. Trust me, he means you no harm."

"I believe you. I'll give him a chance but I make no promises."

"In that case…" He leaned over. "There's a formal function that we've been invited to tomorrow night. Would you like to come with me?"

I stiffened at the thought of me wearing such dress. "Formal…?"

"We get invited to them all the time. Most of them military. This one is supposed to celebrate our victory at Venom."

"I don't know, Fox… I don't do well in crowds…"

"Come on, Skye. Don't be a pansy."

I gave him a dirty look then gave in to his trick. "I'm not being a pansy! Fine! I'll go."

We finished off our coffees then he drove me back to the school to pick up my vehicle.

"Tomorrow night. Don't forget. I'll pick you up from your place."

I ripped off a piece of paper with my address on it. "See you tomorrow then."

He drove off at that. I went straight home to find Hara lying on the couch. She got up as soon as I walked in.

"Welcome home," she said. "How was your day? You're a little late today."

"It was good. I ran into Fox and we went out for coffee to talk. I've been asked to be his plus one at a formal military function tomorrow night."

Hara lit up. "No way! My workplace coordinated that function. You should be excited!"

I groaned. "But now I have to go shopping and deal with Peppy…"

"What about Falco? Is he going?"

I paused. "Falco? Why would I even worry about him? My brother invited me, not Falco."

Hara gave me a devilish smile. "Come on, sweetie. We're going shopping. We're going to find something that will have all the boys coming for you!"

The next night, I was getting ready for the party. Hara and I had found a black, sparkly dress that had a slit on one side of it reaching about mid-thigh. The halter fit me perfectly and we had also gotten silver shoes to go with it. My hair was put up in a tight bun with curls coming out the bottom of it. I hardly recognized myself in the mirror.

I heard a knock at the front door and listened as Hara answered it.

"Skye!" she called. "Fox is here!"

This was it, no turning back now. I took a deep breath and left my bedroom to meet them. As soon as I entered the room, both Hara and Fox turned to me. Fox's jaw dropped while Hara beamed with pride over the ensemble she picked out for me. I immediately got embarrassed.

"It's too much, isn't it?" I asked sheepishly. "I'll go change into something a little more modest…"

Hara stopped me. "Are you kidding?! You look great! What do you think Fox?"

He blushed and instantly got uncomfortable. "She's my sister. I'm sure she'd look great even in a paper bag." He cocked an eyebrow at me and had a teasing gleam in his eye. "Who are you trying to impress?"

I huffed. "No one. Not anybody."

Fox offered me his arm. "Ready to go then?"

I nodded. "Yep. Let's hit it."

Fox escorted me into the ball in no hurry. I got a lot of looks from people around us. Fox squeezed my hand gently, assuring me that everything will be alright.

As soon as we got in, we went to get drinks. So many people were already dancing.

"You want to dance?" Fox asked.

I nodded and he took me out to the dance floor. We began to slowly dance then Fox saw my discomfort.

"You alright?"

"Yeah. There's just a lot of people. And, honestly, I don't want to catch hell from Peppy over being here at your request."

Fox made a face. I understood immediately what it was about. Peppy had already said something to him.

"No… Really?" I said. "You've got to be kidding me…"

"He's not happy but he understands. He's said his peace and that's as far as it goes with him. As for Falco…"

Before he could finish his sentence, Slippy came through the crowd. He was excited when he saw me.

"Skye! You're here!"

Fox and I stopped dancing so I could focus on Slippy. I smiled at him.

"Yep. Per Fox's request."

He grabbed my hands. "It's so great to see you! How have you been?"

"I've been great. Surprised that I'm here."

"Aww, don't be. Enjoy yourself!"

"I will certainly try."

Slippy looked to Fox then back to me. "You wanna dance, Skye?"

I giggled at him. "I would love to."

He took me to a different part of the dance floor. We began spinning around like kids and couldn't stop laughing. A few minutes passed when I finally stopped long enough to catch my breath. I excused myself from Slippy and went to get a drink. It wasn't long before I was joined by the senior member of Star Fox.

"Hello again, Skye," Peppy said from beside me.

I looked up at him. "Peppy."

He let out a sigh. "Look, I've done all I can to protect you and Fox over the years. I want you to know that, although I'm a little wary, I am thankful that you and Fox are reunited. Now that Andross is gone, you and he can get to know each other again. I know I haven't been the best guardian to you. I hope to make that right. If you'll let me, of course."

I thought it over. The right thing to do would've been to forgive him on the spot. I wasn't ready for that though. He left me with a family then only stopped by to tell me that my father had died. No checking up on me, no phone calls…

"I'm sorry but, I'm not ready to forgive you yet," I told him honestly.

"I understand. Whenever you're ready to talk, I'll be here."

"You have no idea how much I appreciate that."

After that, I got a light tap on my shoulder. I turned slowly to find Falco. He was dressed in a nice suit to match the occasion. I was amazed.

"My, my," I teased. "Who knew you could clean up so well?"

He smirked as he gave me a once-over. "Who knew that you could actually look like a lady."

Peppy noticed the friction and stepped in.

"Now, now you two. Can we get along for just one night?"

"I don't remember being the one with a problem," I told him.

Falco held out his hand. "Then you shouldn't have any issue dancing with me."

I looked at his hand then back to him. I took it with some hesitation then he took me out to the dance floor. I didn't want to get too close to him. He noticed and, instead of putting his hand at my waist, he placed it strategically at the small of my back, crushing me to him and keeping me there. It caught me off guard. It also threw me for a loop when I felt the instant connection between us. My body melted into his like I was meant to be there. It was unnerving… He didn't seem to be fazed at all. Actually, he looked like he was taking some joy out of my discomfort. He wasted no time getting to his more pressing questions.

"As interesting as this is, I want to know what your angle is."

I cocked an eyebrow at him. "Angle?"

"You and Fox," he clarified. "What's the deal? We save you from Titania, he lets you finish the mission with us then a few days later he shows up with you here. Working a little fast aren't you?"

I couldn't help but laugh at his ridiculous assumptions. Of course, he had no clue that Fox and I were related so he was going by what he was seeing. Still, it seemed silly to me.

He took my laughing at him personally.

"What's so funny?"

"It's funny that you think that Fox and I are an item. That couldn't be further from the truth."

"Oh?" he questioned in an unbelieving tone. "Enlighten me."

I looked him in the eye so he would know I wasn't lying to him.

"My surname, Kell, is the name I took from my adoptive parents. My real name is Skye McCloud. Fox is my older brother."

I watched as the understanding of what I just told him washed over his features. Even his hand at my back loosened its grip.

"You're not kidding," he murmured.

I shook my head. "Not even a little bit. And no, I'm really not in the mood to tell you my life story."

"I'm sure it's very boring anyway. Besides, it's only natural that your father would choose Fox over you to carry on his legacy."

I shoved him away and gave him a good solid slap into his cheek. I managed to make him stumble back. I was fuming.

"How dare you," I told him harshly. "How dare you assume that you know anything about me or my brother. Or my father for that matter! You know nothing about me or our circumstances! I suggest you get your story straight before you think you can make comments like that."

By then we had a crowd growing around us to see what was going on. I quickly took my leave of the whole party with the full intention of going home. Fox saw me leaving and called after me. He even followed me outside. He grabbed my hand to stop me.

"What happened in there? Come on, Skye. Talk to me."

I turned on him quickly and jerked my hand away. "You need to get a handle on your pilot. He has no right to judge me. And he certainly has no right to assume you're better than me because dad chose you."

Fox went to reach for me again but got interrupted by Peppy coming out of the building.

"Skye, it wasn't supposed to happen like this," Peppy said. "It was supposed to be a good night. Come back in. Enjoy yourself."

I gave him a dirty look. "I liked it better when you decided to have nothing to do with me. I'm going home if I have to walk all the way there."

I took off at that. After I had gotten far enough from the building, I called Hara.

"Hey, Skye," she said over the phone. "How's the party?"

"Please tell me you're at home…"

"Uh, yeah. I'm home. Why? What's up?"

"Could you come pick me up?"

There was a pause. "What happened?"

"I'll tell you about it when you get me."

"Alright, I'm on my way now. Hang tight."

I waited on a bench for her. A few minutes later she pulled up. I wasted no time getting into the vehicle.

"Goodness," she said. "You look like you need a punching bag and a drink."

I snorted. "Between Falco and Peppy, I need to skip the punching bag and go straight to the voodoo dolls. It's high time that I forget about them and do my own thing. I was much better off before they came to rescue me on Titania…"


	4. Chapter 4

I spared no detail when I told Hara everything that had happened at the party. I was even honest about the undeniable connection that I had with Falco. Whether he felt it too or not, I would never know. Somehow, I think I was okay with that. It wouldn't have done me any good to dwell on it.

A few days later, I was woken up one morning by an early phone call. As soon as I saw who it was, I immediately picked up.

"Kell," I answered.

"Good morning, Skye," replied my boss, Craig Masters. "Did you enjoy your few days off?"

"Man, do I have stories to tell you… You got a mission for me, Boss?"

"I got an order for Bill Grey. After the attack from Andross, Katina is in desperate need of parts to repair some of the outposts and many of their aircraft."

"Have my ship ready for me, Craig. I've definitely got this one."

"See you when you get here."

I hung up with him and got ready to leave. Hara had left early for work so I left a note letting her know I was on a mission. I left for the port to get my fighter then went on my way to Gilford Station that was floating in the middle of space.

My lion boss, Craig, has been a long-time friend of mine for many years. Right after I had dropped out from the academy, I got a call from him out of the blue and was offered a job. He made sure that any planet in the Lylat System got the supplies needed to keep up military outposts and such. He also sent emergency medical supplies to whoever needed them. How he procured these things for his clients, I couldn't tell you. For the most part, it was an honest operation.

Just to be clear, Craig Masters isn't his real name. He was once the notorious criminal, Cyrus Astaire. He gave up his pirate life to be with his beautiful wife, Melissa, who also happened to be a princess from a small planet. He changed his name to make sure his old enemies would never find him again. To better cover up his tracks, he had Gilford Station built and started his business. Needless to say, I'm the only one of his hundreds of employees that knows that about him. That shows you how much he trusts me.

I docked my fighter into the station and went to the deck that had my cargo ship. Craig was over-seeing it personally to make sure nothing went wrong.

As soon as he saw me, he grinned.

"So, these stories you were going to tell me," he teased.

"Oh right. I got shot down on the way home last time I was here."

"Wolf again?"

"Unfortunately. Anyway, got shot down, was rescued by Star Fox. Figured out the leader is my brother, Falco hates me-"

"Whoa wait," he interrupted. "Fox McCloud is your brother?"

"Yes, yes he is. Now, back to my story-"

"How do you even cope with that?" he teased some more. "I can only imagine how that conversation went."

"Craig."

"I'm sorry." He chuckled. "Go on."

"Fox and I caught up, I was invited to a party. It was a disaster. The end."

Craig laughed out loud. "None of that really made sense. Details would be great."

I sighed. "I'm sorry. I get flustered when I talk about it. So much had happened in such a short time. Not to mention my pride is so bruised over it all."

"Let's start with Fox then. If I understand this correctly, your name isn't Kell at all."

"That's right. When I was a kid, I was taken to a family friend that adopted me instead of living with my brother and father."

"You never told me your father was James McCloud."

"If it makes you feel any better, no one else knew. Well, except for Hara. I didn't tell her my story until a few years into our friendship."

He grinned. "You have your reasons I'm sure. I can only assume your father was trying to protect you. But, why not Fox?"

"He was the one to carry on dad's legacy. Simple as that. I was supposed to keep my hands clean, marry a good man and go on with my life."

Craig laughed again. "You are far from that, my friend. You're single and working for an ex-criminal. Something is seriously wrong with that picture."

"Your teasing is exhausting, Craig…"

"I can't help myself," he shrugged. "You're such an easy target. But I have a feeling you're not finished with your story. Who is Falco?"

"Falco is a member of Star Fox. He's Fox's best pilot. I have never met a more infuriating man."

Craig paused. "Yet there's a note of respect in your voice."

"Respect may be too strong a word…"

He gave me a sly look with a silly grin. "Oh… You like him don't you?"

"Not even! I barely know him for one. And two, he's SO NOT my type! He's arrogant, hot-headed, self-centered-"

"Alright, alright. I overstepped, I'm sorry."

"Are you teasing Skye again instead of paying attention to your workers packing her ship?" a feminine voice asked from behind us.

"Hey, Melissa," I greeted.

"Hello again, Skye. Is he bothering you?" the lioness asked as she approached us.

I laughed. "If he didn't tease me, I would be worried that he didn't like me anymore."

"True enough." She turned to Craig. "Where is she headed?"

"She's going to see Bill Grey. Don't worry, she'll be fine like she always is."

Melissa gave her husband a disbelieving look. "Obviously you haven't heard. Wolf O'Donnell and his gang of criminals have been out and about since Andross fell. I'm not okay with her going out without protection of some sort."

Craig crossed his arms. "What do you suggest?"

"Call in a favor from the military. Or Star Fox."

I groaned at the mention of Star Fox.

"I'd rather not have to deal with Star Fox if it makes any difference to you."

Craig laughed. "I can only imagine it."

Melissa looked between us. "What did I miss?"

"It would seem that our Skye is related to the leader of Star Fox," Craig told her.

Melissa's jaw dropped. "No way! You and Fox?"

"Unfortunately… Look, I really don't want to go through this story again. Do what you think is necessary and just keep me posted."

Melissa went off and did her thing. I stayed with Craig as his men finished packing my ship. Melissa came back to us as soon as my ship was done.

"Fox McCloud and Slippy Toad are on the way," she said. "They've promised to help you."

"Of course they did…"

"Be thankful," Craig said. "You're lucky that we got a reply so quickly. It doesn't always happen that way." He looked to his wife. "How much did you promise them?"

"The usual rate. Plus a little extra for when they get back." She winked.

Moments later, two arwings docked in one of the bays. Within a few minutes, Slippy and Fox walked through the door to meet us. Fox stopped as soon as he saw me.

"Hello, big brother."

"Skye!" Slippy cried. "It's good to see you again."

I smiled at the toad. Fox paused.

"We're here to escort _you_ to Katina? I thought…" he trailed off and looked to Melissa. "Look, we've done plenty of escort missions for your company but, we may have to seriously think about this one."

"You don't have time to think about it," Melissa said in a hard tone. "Katina needs their supplies and they need them soon. You need to escort Skye to Katina safely in order to get paid. I will not have her shot down by the likes of Wolf O'Donnell."

Fox sighed then looked to me. "You attract all kinds of trouble, don't you?"

"If you count Falco as trouble, then yes, I suppose I do," I spat.

"Look, I spoke to Falco about the ball."

"Oh really? I can only imagine how that went." I feigned a male voice. "Oh Fox, I feel so awful. I only wanted to rub in her face how your father chose you instead of her."

"Skye, I wanted to talk to you about that too-"

"Save it. We have a mission to do. Katina needs their supplies. I'm not wasting any more time talking to you about ridiculous things."


	5. Chapter 5

We left Gilford Station and headed to Katina. Slippy and Fox flew on either side of my carrier to keep an eye out for pirates. The trip to Katina wasn't going to be long. The longest part of this whole mission was unloading everything.

We headed into the asteroid field to get to Katina. Right on schedule, Star Wolf was waiting for us.

"Going somewhere, Kell?" Wolf's voice took over my com.

"Don't you have something better to do, Wolf?" I asked. "I figured you would find someone more worth your time by now."

"Skye, they are all around us," Fox reported.

Just as he said that my ship was encircled by Star Wolf. My ship was at a standstill. Fox and I were surrounded. Wait…

"Fox, where's Slippy?"

Right after I spoke, some lasers came out from beside me and Fox and hit Leon on the side. Wolf, Pigma and Andrew all spread out as soon as one of their own was shot.

"What was that?!" Leon cried.

Slippy came swooping in. I let out a laugh.

"Don't worry, guys," Slippy said through the com. "I got your backs."

"Good work, Slip," Fox said. "Now we're even, Wolf. Let us through."

"We're not even close," Wolf argued. "Her ship has no fighting capabilities. And, believe me when I say that we've tested her shielding. It might last a while against one ship. But against four?"

"We know how this usually ends," I told them. "You loot my ship, decide there is nothing for you to take then either let me go on my way or shoot me down to where I usually wait several hours until help comes or I fix the damn thing myself. Do us all a favor and find someone else to pick on. If you're never going to finish the job then go away."

A loud cackle went through my com.

"She wants us to finish the job," Pigma squealed.

"Me and my big mouth…" I muttered.

"Skye…" Fox said through gritted teeth.

When it all seemed lost, a familiar voice came through the com.

"I order you to stand down, Star Wolf. Skye Kell is under military protection. I suggest you take your business somewhere else or you will be shot down on the spot."

I let out a sigh of relief. "Bill, as always, your timing is impeccable."

"Bill?" Fox asked. "You know Bill?"

"We're not talking about this now…"

"It would seem that you've won this round, Kell," Wolf spoke up. "We'll be back."

All four members took their leave.

"Whew! That was too close!" Slippy cried.

"Is everyone alright?" Bill asked.

I looked again to see a ten man fleet behind the bulldog pilot. I chuckled.

"You weren't taking no for an answer, were you?"

"We desperately need those supplies, Miss Kell. Not only that, but we knew Star Wolf would be after you again."

"Again?" Fox croaked.

"Fox? Is that you?"

"It's good to see you again, Bill. I would say long time no see but…"

Bill laughed. "We can catch up later, Fox. For now, we need to escort Miss Kell to Katina."

After that, it didn't take us long to get to one of the outposts. I was docked quickly and Bill's men went to work on unloading my ship. Slippy came to stand with me while Fox and Bill talked.

"Why don't you help unload with them?" he asked me.

I smiled. "It's company policy. I don't touch the goods so no one can blame me if something is wrong with any of it. It's my boss's way of protecting his pilots."

As soon as I said that, Bill and Fox walked over. Bill eyed me strangely.

"Are you sure you're related? You look nothing alike."

I gave Fox a hard glare. "I would appreciate it if you didn't tell everybody our connection. It's nobody's business but ours."

"No need to get saucy with him, Skye," Bill said. "I asked and he answered. Simple as that."

I arched an eyebrow at him. "Saucy, huh? Is that what you really think of me, Bill?"

He smirked. "Hardly. You make sure that we get what we need. You just happen to keep life interesting when you get here."

I laughed it off and went back to supervising the unpacking of my ship. They got done quickly and we were sent back on our merry way. We got back to Gilford Station without a hitch and Craig and Melissa were waiting for us.

"Your payments have all been wired to your accounts," Melissa said.

"How do they know when to pay us?" Slippy whispered.

"The client calls them when the goods are delivered," I told him. "Melissa then pays us as soon as that phone call ends. It's nice to immediately have money to spend right after the job."

"How was the trip?" Craig asked.

"As expected, Wolf came after us. Bill came to our rescue when it got too sticky. Other than that, everything went great."

"Good to hear. That's the only thing I needed from you. Have another few days off. You've earned it."

"Hold on a second," Fox said. " _This_ is your job? You nearly get shot down by Wolf, he sometimes succeeds and yet you keep coming back to this?"

"You have no right to judge me, Mr. Leader of Star Fox," I spat. "You get to go around the galaxy, saving the people, defeating Andross. But you freak out over the fact that your younger sister is doing a delivery job? Yes, Wolf comes after me. The things I carry from planet to planet are precious. It's a given that I will be chased, pilfered from and, on some occasions, shot down. It happens. The best I can do is get back on my feet and move on." I took a deep breath. "The whole protective brother thing is getting on my last nerve. You haven't been in my life since we were kids and now you suddenly think you own it. Do us both a favor and butt out. And take your team with you." I turned to Craig. "I'm going home. Call me when the next job comes up." I took my leave at that.

I went straight to my fighter and went home as promised. I walked into my apartment to find Hara on the phone. She looked like she was ready to punch something.

"The phone has been ringing off the hook since you left," she said.

"Are they all for me?"

"Thankfully, no. Only a few came in for you. Most of them are work related. But you did get a call from the construction company that you used to work for. They want to know if you can do some side work for them. They will pay of course."

I sighed. "I'll give them a call later."

She hung up the phone. "They seem to think that I'm not too important. Anyway," she turned her attention to me. "How was your mission?"

I groaned then plopped down on the couch. "Fox and Slippy were called in to escort me to Katina. Wolf headed us off but, luckily Bill came to help. When we got back to base, I told Fox off and left."

"I'm glad to hear it went well."

"You're not going to ask more about it?"

She shrugged. "Nope, I figure he got what he deserved. This is something you will have to figure out for yourself. Just, do me a favor… Keep in mind that he _is_ blood. Eventually, you'll have to reconcile if only to save face."

"I suppose you're right… But until then, he needs to stay away or I may end up seriously hurting him."

A few weeks passed with only a few missions from Craig here and there. I hadn't heard from Fox or anyone from Star Fox for that matter. Not that I was complaining but, still. It was boring while Hara was at work. I went to the dance studio in the city at least twice a week to keep busy until I heard from Craig again. It was one of these days that Falco finally decided to show his face…

I went to the dance studio with my CD player and my book bag in hand. I walked in, said hello to some of the regulars then went to a small room by myself. The room I always took had large floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out to the sidewalk by the building. Everyone and their mother could watch me as I did my stretches and dance. I didn't mind though. Most of the time, I didn't notice. Once I was in the zone, nothing else mattered.

I turned on my music and started my stretches. A few minutes later I was moving across the room in a perfect rhythm. Time seemed to be nonexistent as I stepped and twirled and leaped. The track ended and I came to a stop. When I straightened up, I froze at the sound of clapping coming from the door. I whipped around to find Falco there, leaning up against the doorframe. I immediately got flustered.

"What the hell?! What do _you_ want?"

"Please, don't stop on my account," he said as he walked in. "I was walking outside and happened to see you. I never pegged you for a dancer."

"It's just a hobby," I huffed. "I do it on my time off. I'm not a professional." I paused. "Why in the world am I explaining myself to you? It's none of your business."

"Then maybe you wouldn't mind showing me a few moves," he grinned.

A fast-paced song came on the CD player. My heart began to race from the expectation of what was coming next.

"You dance?" I asked.

He took off his jacket and put it on the barre, uncovering a green tank top and ridiculously toned arms. "I'm not as uncultured as you may think." He offered his hand. "Are you going to dance with me or are you too scared?"

I hesitated. As soon as I put my hand in his he pulled me roughly to him. My body reacted just as it did before regardless of my own discomfort. Falco noticed and chuckled.

"Enjoying this close encounter a little too much, aren't you?"

"Don't get your hopes up."

We began our rumba to the beat of the music. The intimate dance did wicked things to me. He moved and dipped me just right. It was a game he knew how to play a little too well. That fact alone made me nervous. He manipulated me to stay close to him at all times. And his hands… The way they roamed my curves…

The music came to an end and he had me dipped low again, his face inches from mine. We heard some clapping from the door. Apparently, we had quite a crowd at the door, including Hara.

"Holy crap!" Hara cried. "It was like… watching sex without the penetration! That was steamy!"

I righted myself and pushed away from Falco. I was winded and, from the look of him, he was affected by our dance as well. He cast me a glance then went to get his jacket. I packed up quickly and grabbed Hara's arm to drag her out with me.

"Skye! Aren't you going to introduce me? You just had the most erotic dance ever and you don't even want to talk about it?"

"Right now, I need to go home and catch my breath. I just did the rumba with a man that I don't even know or like…"


	6. Chapter 6

When Hara got me home, I explained everything to her. She was shocked when I told her that he was Falco. She also teased me about not taking it far enough. Unfortunately, it wasn't until much later that I realized I had left my jacket at the studio. At least, not until Falco showed up at my front door…

I was doing dishes in the kitchen when there was a knock at the door. Hara went to answer it then called to let me know it was for me. I grabbed a towel to dry my hands and walked toward the living room. As soon as I saw Falco standing with my roommate, I dropped the towel to the floor.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I asked more out of shock. "How did you find out where I lived?"

"Skye, don't be rude!" Hara scolded me. "Aren't you going to introduce us?"

I let out a sigh and picked up the towel I dropped.

"Hara, this is Falco Lombardi of Star Fox. Falco, this is my roommate and best friend, Sahara Sands."

"But you can call me Hara," she added quickly.

I could tell she was already picturing the dirty things she wanted to do to him later. I rolled my eyes and grinned. Falco turned to me and handed my jacket over.

"You left that at the dance studio," he said. "As for finding where you lived, I called Fox."

"Of course…" I sighed.

"Don't be upset with him. Besides, I really don't want to hear from him again today."

That concerned me. "Is everything okay?"

"Not really. He asked me why I needed your address and I told him what happened at the studio."

I was instantly embarrassed.

"You told him about your sexy dance time?" Hara asked. "Are you stupid? Why on earth would you tell Fox about Skye's crazy rumba with his teammate and right-hand man? That is a recipe for disaster if I ever heard one."

"I try to not make a habit out of lying to Fox," Falco said. "Like you mentioned, I'm his right-hand man. Needless to say, he's not too happy with me right now. Gods forbid I try and get to know his little sister that he hasn't seen for who knows how long."

"Getting to know me? That's what you called that?"

"I didn't mean it like that…" He let out a frustrated sigh. "Look, anything I say at this point is going to be used against me. You have your jacket, I'll take my leave."

He spared no second leaving the apartment. Hara looked to me.

"Well? Aren't you going to go after him?"

"And do what?"

"Question him! Nobody dances like that with my girl and doesn't have an angle or _something_." She pushed me toward the door. "Go! Go thank him at least!"

I did as she said and ran after Falco. I caught him just as he was about to get into his vehicle.

"Falco wait!" He stopped just before he got in and turned to me. "I'm sorry. I should've at least thanked you for bringing me my jacket. But I… I have to ask." I paused. "What's your angle?"

He looked at me incredulously. "You're kidding, right?"

"Look, Hara made a good point. You don't dance with anyone like that without having an ulterior motive. If you did that to make a fool out of me, congratulations, you succeeded. I feel like a complete idiot for letting you take advantage of me. But, let's get one thing straight… I promise you, I won't let you do that to me again. If you think for one second that you will find a vulnerable side of me, you are sorely mistaken. There's nothing about me that's vulnerable or weak."

He grinned. "I believe you. As for my reason for dancing with you… I'm actually curious about you. Fox had never mentioned you and it's kind of coincidental that we found you, all of a sudden, on Titania. Forgive me if I'm a little skeptical." He got into his vehicle. "No doubt we'll see each other again." He drove away at that.

I went back to my apartment to find Hara standing at the door waiting for me. "Well?"

I sighed. "He said he's curious about me. I don't know how to take that…"

"Sounds to me like he's going to toy with you some more. I don't like this Skye. Not at all."

"I don't either but, it seems as though me seeing him is inevitable." I looked to the phone. "In the meantime, I just stay busy. You think my old boss will still take me back for a job until Craig calls me?"

Hara shrugged then grinned. "Only one way to find out."

I called Davis, my old construction boss, about the job he had coming up. It was a few weeks late but he still appreciated my interest. He asked that I show up in one of the residential districts. I was shocked. All that was left of this one was ruins. As far as you could see there were burned down houses, some of them not even standing anymore. Others, you could only see the slab of concrete that used to be the foundation for a now nonexistent home. I was already sick to my stomach.

I got there in plenty of time to find that some of my old coworkers had arrived as well as Star Fox, minus Peppy of course. Fox, Falco, and Slippy all stood together talking to some of the others. Falco saw me first and gently elbowed Fox. Fox turned and saw me. I took a deep breath and went to him.

"Fox… I wanted to apologize for how I treated you at Gilford. I shouldn't have said the things I said. I'm really sorry."

He paused for a moment then smiled.

"Don't worry, little sister. I'm not upset. I'm being overprotective where I'm not wanted and I'm sorry. Your freedom is important to you and I understand that now." He held out his hand. "Clean slate?"

I took his hand without question and shook it. "Clean slate."

Moments later we were called to order and given instructions. We were to search all of the damaged and abandoned houses to look for survivors and mark the houses for demolition so new houses could go up. We all would be in pairs so we could divide and conquer. My brother immediately went to my side before Falco could, leaving Falco and Slippy to a team. We all grabbed radios then went our separate ways. Fox wasted no time getting down to the questions as we searched around.

"So… You and Falco?"

I sighed. "I don't know what he told you but, it's not what it seems."

"It seems to me like he's interested in you."

I laughed. "Hardly. He's enjoying making a fool out of me. Besides, I don't like him like that. Quite frankly, I don't like him at all. He enjoys toying with me and I don't appreciate that."

"Believe me when I say that's not the case for him. He's very interested."

I turned to him. "What exactly did he tell you?"

"He apologized for being out of line at the party," Fox said. "Then he said that he saw you at a dance studio and danced with you again. He told me that he took it a little further than he should have." He sighed. "Look, your business is your own and you'll do as you please whether I like it or not. But… As leader of Star Fox and your brother, I really don't want you to get involved with Falco if you can help it."

I smiled at him. "You won't have to worry about that with me."

We continued on our search. Moments later, he went back to the questions.

"Have you ever dated?" he asked.

"Of course I have. None of them are worth mentioning and none of them were really worth dating. But I did it anyway."

"It's hard to believe that you would be single."

I shrugged. "I just haven't found someone worth my time and effort. When it comes to a relationship, I go big or go home. I'm honest from the beginning and wear my heart on my sleeve. I don't have the time or patience to deal with the crap. You're either with me or get out of the way."

Fox grinned. "It's nice to know you're no pushover."

"I try not to be."

We finally got to a damaged home far from the other groups. Fox and I tiptoed around checking for anyone who could have possibly survived. The home itself was mostly intact. All of the furniture inside was torn and thrown around, almost as if a hurricane and a tornado blew through one right after the other. Fox and I went into different rooms. The first bedroom I went into wasn't too special. The second bedroom on the other hand…

I walked into a child's room. The walls were painted a light purple with butterflies all around. My heart broke. Just when I was about to leave, I heard a groan come from the closet. I immediately went over to the closet and moved some debris to open it up. I was shocked at my find.

A little raccoon girl, no older than ten, lay curled up on a pile of clothes and blankets. She was breathing but she wasn't moving.

"Fox!" I called out as I gathered the girl in my arms. She was almost too light for comfort and extremely malnourished. "Fox, I need you!"

He came running in then stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the girl.

"Is she...?"

"She's alive. You have the radio, I need you to contact Davis. We need to get her to the hospital."

Fox did as I told him and we made our way to the main camp to meet up with an ambulance. The medics took her away. Davis came to me.

"You alright, Skye?"

I paused for a moment then gave him a nod. "Yeah. I'm going to take the rest of this job off… Hopefully, I can meet them there."

"You're going to the hospital?" Fox asked.

"She's the only survivor out of this whole mess and I found her. That has to mean _something_."

I took my leave of Fox and Davis and went straight to the hospital. The little girl was let in immediately and hooked up to fluids. I stepped out of the room when I was approached by a nurse.

"Excuse me, ma'am, are you her mother?"

I shook my head. "No. I'm the one that found her."

"Unfortunately ma'am, we can't keep her here unless her medical expenses are being taken care of."

I let out a deep sigh. "I'll take care of it. Send me the bill."

She gave me a nod and went on her way. I took out my phone and immediately called Craig.

"Hello, Skye," he answered, knowing exactly who I was. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I hate to bother you, Boss, but… I have a huge favor to ask."

"Name it."

I looked into the room to the little girl for a moment then turned my attention back to my call.

"I need as many jobs as you can give me. I have new expenses that need to be taken care of."

"Is everything alright, Skye?"

"I'll tell you all about it later, I promise. I just need to know your answer."

There was a pause over the line.

"I think you already know what I'm going to say," he said. "You have asked, and so you shall receive."


	7. Chapter 7

~A year later…

I sat in the girl's hospital room beside the bed reading the last chapter of one of my favorite books out loud to her. It had been a year since I had found her in the rubble and there was still no indication of her waking up. But I kept hoping that she would give me a sign… I kept hoping that finding her was for a reason and she would somehow wake up. The doctors assured me that they would keep trying to revive her but to no avail. Now they were telling me that they would probably just let her go. I had even paid some of the bills in advance to insure that they wouldn't unhook her from anything. It was heartbreaking to watch but I didn't want to give up.

Craig kept to his word and kept me busy. There were some days that I didn't even bother going home. I would rest up at Gilford then go on another job after a short nap. He understood the situation and made sure I was getting the highest paying jobs. This included having some quality time with my brother while he escorted me everywhere to make sure I got to my destination safely. He and I got together for lunch every now and again so I could give him any update on the little girl that I could. He even came to visit her with me when he had a chance.

Hara had also come with me once in a while to see her. She was surprisingly supportive of the whole situation and had even gone as far as to say that she could come live with us when she woke up. She had requested more hours at work like I did in order to help me with the hospital bills as well as get some things for the girl when she woke up. It was times like this that I was really thankful to have her as my best friend.

As for Falco… I hadn't heard from him at all. It was shocking actually. I figured Fox had something to do with it since my brother was convinced that Falco was interested in me. I wouldn't go as far as saying that I was disappointed that I didn't see Falco around but, I was kind of curious about how he was doing.

I finished up the chapter I was reading then set the book on the end table. I told the girl my goodbyes then headed for home. As I walked the city streets, I saw a familiar face that I hadn't seen in a while.

Falco stood in front of a shop window staring absently at something. He had his hands in his pockets and still exuded his bad-boy aura. I walked up to him slowly so I wouldn't startle him.

"Hello, stranger," I said.

He did a double-take then smiled at me. "Yo."

"How have you been? I haven't seen you around for a while."

He turned to me. "Well, I was kind of warned away by your brother. I didn't want to upset him any more than I had to."

"I see… I'm sorry that he put restrictions on you."

"Oh baby, nobody restricts me," he winked. "But, he is my friend and I do what I can for him. How is that little girl that you rescued a while back? Did she ever wake up?"

I instantly felt that burden weigh heavy on my heart. Falco noticed and actually looked sincerely worried.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I shook my head. "Not really."

"Too bad. I want to help. Let me take you to lunch and we can talk."

He didn't give me a choice in the matter. He took my arm and led me to the same café that Fox and I sat at when we finally talked for the first time. Falco ordered us coffees and we sat down at a high-table by the large windows overlooking the street. After a few sips of coffee, Falco spoke up.

"So, tell me what's going on. Why do you look so down?"

I took a sip from my cup and sighed. "The doctors are talking about pulling the plug…"

He arched a brow. " _Excuse me?_ They're getting paid right? You're not behind on any of the bills?"

"What do you think I've been doing this whole year? Craig has me running around like a chicken with my head cut off. In his defense, I asked him to but, still. I'm making plenty of money. In the end, she hasn't made any progress. She's not brain-dead or anything. She's just not responsive. I don't know what to do…"

"I'm sorry, Skye. I don't know what to tell you."  
As soon as he said that, my phone rang. I groaned when I saw who it was on the caller ID.

"Kell," I answered.

"Hello again, Skye," Craig answered with his usual cheerfulness. "Care to make another run to Fichina?"

"Again? Didn't I just make a run to them?"

"It's hard work controlling a whole planet's climate, Skye. That center needs constant care. And constant parts apparently."

I looked to Falco for a moment.

"How soon do you need me?"

"As soon as you can get here."

"Done. I'll be there."

When I clicked the end button, Falco's phone went off.

"That's uncanny…" He murmured. He looked at the caller ID and chuckled. "Imagine that. It's your boss's wife."

He answered the phone. "Hello?"

A pause.

"I can't complain. Yourself?"

There was another pause. I tried to listen to their conversation but still couldn't hear what Melissa was saying on the other end.

After a few moments, he cast a glance at me then grinned. "Count me in. I'm on my way now." He ended the call then turned his attention to me. "It looks like I'm going with you this time."

"Seriously? You're going to be my escort? What happened to Fox and Slippy?"

"She said they've been running them ragged with your constant missions," he explained as he got his things together. "And General Pepper told them that he didn't have anyone to spare. Don't worry, I'm only last resort."

I followed his lead. "I can't say I'm disappointed. I would be lying if I did."

We went to the port to get our fighters then made our way to Gilford. Craig was over-seeing the packing of my ship as usual. He saw us coming up beside him and grinned.

"Hello, you two," he greeted. "Ready to get to work?"

"Always," I winked.

Craig offered a hand to Falco. The bird took it without hesitation.

"You have no idea how much we appreciate you being here, Falco. Thanks for filling in."

"Not a problem. Fox needs a break just like anybody else. Where are we headed?"

"Fichina," Craig told him. "The Climate Control Center needs parts to keep it up and running. This shipment is top priority. Think you can handle it?"

Falco grimaced. "I can handle it just fine. But, man, I hate the cold." He looked to me. "It would have been nice for you to tell me."

"Quit your belly aching," I said. "I have an extra coat in my carrier. Besides, your job isn't to question. It's to get me to my destination safely. End of story."

He crossed his arms. "Alright then. Let me know when you're ready." He walked away at that.

Craig lifted an eyebrow at me.

"What?" I asked him.

"Oh nothing," he shrugged. "I just understand why Fox is so worried."

"What do you mean?"

"The way he looks at you. He treats you one way but looks at you in another. It's… Interesting…."

"It's not like that for me," I assured him.

"I understand that. Take it from someone who sees it from his wife every day." He grinned. "For Falco, it's different though. The constant banter is a way of getting to know you. His look is one of respect and kindness. It'll change once he gets to know you more."

I didn't believe him for a second.

"Whatever you say, Craig. If you'll excuse me, I've got a control center to get parts to."

I went straight to the cockpit of my ship and connected the com to Falco's arwing.

"Ready?" I asked.

"When you are."

Falco and I made our way to Fichina with the usual banter all the way there. We got to Fichina and I pulled into the control center with ease. A whole team was waiting for the drop off. Falco also landed and rushed to my carrier to pick up a coat from me. I smirked as he shrugged himself into the coat.

"My goodness, I think I may have found your weakness, Bird," I teased.

"Yes, the cold is the bane of my existence," he agreed drolly, not giving in to my wit.

We were greeted by some of the workers as they got to work on unloading my ship. As I kept an eye on my ship, Falco came over to chat with me.

"So… this is glamorous," he said. "You get to stand and watch as they manhandle the goods. Seems kind of boring."

"This way they can't blame me for any damages. And if I keep an eye out means no sabotage. I become my own watchdog."

"Well, when you're the only person you can trust…"

The way he said that made me pause. I looked up at him. He was giving me a sideways glance that made me uncomfortable so I turned away quickly. I felt the heat rush to my cheeks.

"Trusting people isn't an issue for me," I argued.

"Then what's the issue?"

He was asking honestly. It caught me off guard. It seemed as if he really wanted to know something about me. Should I answer him or brush him off?

Before I could reply, I was pulled aside to do the paperwork after my ship was done being unloaded. Some of these people working today weren't familiar to me. I brushed it off not really putting a second thought to it then went on my way. Falco and I loaded up and went on our way back to Gilford.

Before long, my ship began to act up. I tried to contact Falco only to find that my com had been disconnected. Just as my ship shut down, one of the engines exploded and sent me into Falco's arwing then sent us both careening toward a planet. Within moments, we touched down and my ship tumbled onto the ground, knocking me for a loop. I remember looking over to Falco's arwing seeing him unconscious before everything went black.


	8. Chapter 8

I woke up a bit later to a splitting headache. My ship was still motionless and there was dirt and green all around me and on my ship. I looked over to the arwing to find Falco still unconscious. I unbuckled myself and managed to get on my feet. I stumbled out of my ship and went toward Falco. His ship was buried halfway into the dirt so it was an easy task to get to him. I climbed up and pried the cockpit back to get to him then tried to shake him awake. It was hard to work through my headache.

"Wake up, Falco," I said as I shook him. "Come on, you idiot. Don't leave me alone. Wake up."

He finally began to shift and opened his eyes. As soon as he moved he grabbed his arm and groaned in pain. He looked up at me.

"Thank goodness you're okay," I breathed.

"What about you?" he asked as he lifted himself out of the cockpit. He used his good hand to cup my cheek then look me over. "Are you hurt?"

"Just a slight headache," I lied. "Your arm…."

"I'll be fine."

He hopped out of the cockpit and onto the ground. I followed his lead and watched as he flinched every time his arm moved. I stopped him and looked him in the eye.

"You're going to let me nurse you whether you like it or not," I told him in a hard tone. "We don't have time to drag around. We need to lick our wounds then figure out what the hell happened. Something about this whole thing isn't right…"

He gave in and let me look at his arm. Luckily it didn't seem like it was broken but, a fracture of some sort might have been present. I went into my ship to grab the first-aid box and made him a sling. When I was done, I sat back. My head was pounding in pain. It was hard to focus. Falco noticed.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

I shook my head. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Stay here, I have to check on my ship."

I wasted no time and spared no expense at checking every nook and cranny of my carrier. The outside was pretty banged up from the landing. What surprised me most was when I went to check the electricals and fuel lines, everything that could've helped us had been conveniently tampered with and cut. Damn it…

Falco came to check on me. "Everything alright?"

I let out a heavy sigh. "I have good news, bad news and more bad news."

The look on his face told me that he didn't like the sound of that.

"The bad news is, it looks like my ship has been sabotaged. That's a good indication that your arwing was too. Luckily, I have what I need here to at least patch it up enough to get us back to Gilford Station."

Falco looked impressed. "You weren't going to be helpless long, were you?"

I grinned. "Hardly. I know my way around my own ship."

"So what's the other bad news?"

"Fixing it myself will take me days, at least. With one arm out of commission, you're in no condition to help me. I can try to rig the com to at least squeeze out an SOS in Morse code but… That's about all we can hope for."

He gave me a nod. "Our lives are in your hands."

"It's a scary thought, isn't it?" I teased.

I went to the cockpit and did what I could to get the SOS out. On my way back to him, Falco headed me off.

"We've got company," he reported.

I ran out to see our newcomer and found a wolfen going to land. I cursed. I went to the cockpit and grabbed my only blaster then went back to Falco. I handed him the blaster. He took it then looked at me with questioning eyes.

"I'm going to be bait," I told him before he could ask. "If it's Wolf he'll be looking for me."

Falco immediately understood. "I've got your back."

I gave him a nod then he went to hide close-by. Within moments, there was a rustle of leaves. As expected, Wolf came stomping through the brush. He stopped as soon as he saw me.

"Imagine my surprise when I saw it was you and I wasn't the one who shot you down," Wolf grinned. He looked to the crashed arwing. "And yet, even you aren't talented enough to pilot two ships at once."

Falco snuck up behind Wolf and pointed the blaster at the back of Wolf's head.

"Maybe that's because she's not alone," Falco said.

Wolf chuckled as he raised his hands up in surrender and slowly turned to Falco.

"Even more shocking to find that the bird is here instead of Fox, your brother."

"How did you find out about that?" I couldn't believe this… Wolf of all people… It worried me how he could use this against me…

He turned his head to the side so his eye fell on me. He gave me a toothy grin. "I have my ways." He turned back to Falco. "I don't understand why you're still pointing that thing at me. As you can see, I'm unarmed. I didn't come here to cause trouble like I usually do. I came to innocently help this time. Considering your lack of aid…" He turned his attention to me. "By the way, how in the world did you manage to not get hurt on your way down, Kell?"

That question made Falco falter for a second. My headache certainly wasn't gone. In fact, my vision was starting to fade in and out. I wasn't about to let it get to me. I had a ship to get back into the air.

I shook it off to answer him. "That has nothing to do with anything right now. Why are you here?"

"I told you, I came to help. Your SOS doesn't reach far and it's weak but, it was receivable. You're more than welcome to use my ship to contact Star Fox."

I couldn't get past his generosity. Since when was Wolf O'Donnell this giving? I exchanged glances with Falco. I gave him a nod and he dropped the blaster to his side. Wolf also dropped his hands.

"Unfortunately, we do need his help," I told Falco. "I think it will better if Fox heard from you."

"I'm not leaving y-"

I raised my hand and interrupted him. "I'm already grounded, he's not a danger to me unless I'm flying." When he didn't leave, I reiterated. "I'll be fine. Go."

Falco hesitated for a moment, looked to Wolf then went on his way toward the wolfen. Wolf finally turned to me.

"Do you mind telling me what you're hiding?" he asked as he walked to me.

My weakness and my fading vision finally became too much and I went falling forward. Wolf moved quickly to catch me before I hit the ground.

"It would seem that you didn't come out of this unscathed." He turned me in his arms and held me. "You look like hell, Kell."

I smiled weakly. "Good to know…" I looked up at him. "I'm sorry. This is embarrassing… But I'm exhausted. My head hurts."

"I figured… Get some rest then. I'll take care of everything."

Something about that promise told me that he would keep to his word. I closed my eyes and went to sleep.

I awoke lying in a bed in a white room and to quiet. I looked around to see Craig sitting in the corner reading a book silently. The sound of me shifting around made him look up.

"You're awake," he said as he moved a chair to my side. "I'm so glad that you're alright. I was worried sick."

I sat up and let out a chuckle. "I'm back on Corneria. The hospital…"

He nodded. "Falco used Wolf's ship to contact Fox. Fox contacted me after that. When we showed up to get your ship, you were already being carried out by ambulance and Wolf was being arrested-"

"Arrested?! For what?!"

Craig seemed surprised by my shock. "He's a wanted criminal, Skye. They were doing the planets a favor."

"No! He was helping us! Besides, you were a criminal once. I don't see them arresting you for helping people with your company."

He laughed. "Oh Skye, I still am a criminal most days."

I smiled. "And Falco? How is he?"

"His arm is still in a sling but he seems fine. The doctor said he has a terrible sprain, luckily it's not broken. I had never seen him so worried over anyone."

"Give me a break… He's more worried about his standing with Fox."

"You give him too little credit, Skye. Believe it or not, he's quite taken by you. It would seem that Wolf is too."

"Now you're just being… crazy. Wolf? Of all people? Liking me? That's a mess waiting to happen."

Craig laughed again. "You would be right. That's quite the triangle you have working around you."

Just as he finished his sentence, his wife walked through the door. Melissa saw me up and awake then came running over to hug me.

"Thank goodness you're alright! We were so worried!" She pulled away to look at me. "Who would be so vile as to tamper with your ship? I hope we can catch them. You could've died!"

"As you can see, I'm fine," I assured her. "Safe and sound at home." I looked to Craig. "What did the doctor say about my head injury?"

"Slight concussion," Craig answered. "Easily beaten by our ace pilot." He pointed that last comment toward me.

I smiled at him then looked away. Melissa cleared her throat.

"I'll go let Fox know that you're awake." She took her leave quickly.

I was kind of taken aback by her swift departure. I looked to Craig for an answer.

"It's nothing to worry about. We'll get through it like we always have."

Before I could get a better explanation from him, Hara burst through the door along with Slippy. Fox took his time coming in after them. Craig moved aside so that my friends and brother could come to me.

"Take a few days to get your strength up," Craig told me. "We'll look into the sabotage and try to find out who was behind it. I'll see you soon."

I gave him a nod and he left me. Hara came to sit with me. She hugged me tightly.

"I'm so glad you're okay. You had us worried. What happened?"

"I will tell you everything later, I promise. Girl talk and everything."

Fox stepped forward with his arms crossed. "Welcome back, little sister."

I gave them all a smile then looked toward the door. Leaning against the doorframe with his arm still in a sling was Falco. He was okay… A wave of relief washed over me.

"I'm sorry everyone but, I want to speak to Falco. Alone."

Nobody argued with me. They all took their leave and let Falco in to see me. He turned the chair beside my bed backwards and straddled it. I gave him a small smile.

"I'm glad that your arm isn't in too bad shape."

He smirked. "And I'm glad you finally woke up from your headache."

I chuckled at his gentle quip then let out a sigh. "What happened after I passed out? Tell me everything."

He rubbed his eyes in exasperation. "Where do I even start? I was able to contact Fox using the wolfen's communications only to return to our ships with you unconscious. Wolf said you had passed out and complained of a headache before you went out. He surprisingly seemed really worried. He didn't leave your side."

That shocked me. Wolf? Caring for me? It was unlike the Wolf I knew.

"In any case," Falco continued. "Our rescue team, Fox, Craig, and some of the military, came within a few hours. You were brought here while they arrested Wolf. He didn't put up a fight, which, is kind concerning. It worries me that we don't know what he's planning."

I agreed with him. Still, Wolf was only helping us and they arrested him anyway. I owed him. I owed him big. I also owed Falco.

"Thank you, Falco. I'm sorry I passed out on you."

"Make sure it doesn't happen again. You had everyone worried."

"Including you?" I teased.

He turned away at my question. I already knew his answer and sobered.

"Really? For a minute there I didn't think you liked me."

"I like you just fine, Skye. Really. I just… I don't know…" He got up from the chair and put his good hand in his pocket. "I'm just glad you're okay." He moved toward the door.

"Wait, Falco," I called. "I never answered your question back on Fichina."

He slowly turned to me.

"I've never had a problem trusting people. I have a problem with being held down, not being able to do what I want. Without my freedom… You might as well put me out of my misery. I don't want to depend on anyone for anything. It's not who I am."

He stared at me for a moment, maybe trying to wrap his mind around what I told him. He simply gave me a nod then closed the door behind him. I got out of bed to get dressed and get ready to leave. As soon as I was done, Hara walked in and paused when she saw me dressed.

"What do you think you're doing?" she questioned. "You should be in bed resting." She crossed her arms when I looked up at her. "I know that look in your eyes. You're planning something."

I smirked mischievously. "I'm breaking someone out of jail. I have a debt to repay."

She thought it over for a second then smiled. "Count me in. When are we going?"

"As soon as I can think of a decent plan. We're busting Wolf out."


	9. Chapter 9

Getting to the prison was an easy task. Getting _in_ was a whole other ball game. I was able to bribe some of the guards while Biggs, one of my old contacts, was able to get us the rest of the way undetected. Of course, he was already giving me a hard time about it.

"You're insane," he said. "Do you even understand how much trouble I can get in if all your bribes suddenly aren't enough to placate the other guards? I could be fired or worse… I could end up in here with all of the other criminals."

"Would you relax? Everything is going to be fine. No one will know he is gone until morning. I have Hara taking care of getting his ship ready for us. No doubt she's using her feminine wiles…" The thought of it made me roll my eyes. "Whatever gets us his ship, I guess."

"You're serious, aren't you? Skye, do you have any idea what you're doing?"

"Nope. But I'm not going to stop now."

I followed him to Wolf's cell, which was away from everyone else. They kept him isolated. When we got to his cell, he was in prison garb, laying in his bed with his legs propped up, throwing a tennis ball up against the wall and catching it. It was kind of a sad sight. He paused for a moment when he heard our footsteps.

"Surely it's not mealtime already," he pointed out, not even moving to see who he was speaking to.  
I smiled to myself. "Actually, I'm here to tell you to pack your things."

He sat up quickly when he heard my voice. He didn't look too bad. Other than his eye patch was missing, his scar perfectly visible, he still looked like Wolf. He hadn't been in here long enough to make a difference anyway.

"Well, well. Look who's out of the hospital. Feeling better?"

"Like a million bucks."

"Good." He got up from his bed and strode over to the bars. "Now what is this about packing my things?"

"I'm busting you out."

He lifted an eyebrow. "Prove it."

I looked over to my guard friend. "Biggs."

Biggs unlocked Wolf's cell and let the door swing open. Wolf looked to the door then looked to me.

"Why?"

"It's not right that you got locked up for helping me and Falco. They took advantage of the situation. So, I'm here to help you out. Unless you would rather stay here. That can be arranged too."

He smirked. "You had me at 'I'm busting you out'." He stepped out of the cell. "After you."

Biggs led us through the prison with ease. I thanked some of the guards I had bribed on the way by. Wolf found it all quite amusing. He finally got chatty when we got to my vehicle and it was just me and him.

"Does anybody else know you're doing this?" he asked.

"My roommate insisted she be a part of the mission. She's actually getting your ship back as we speak."

"No one is going to find out and try to stop you?"

"Not until it's too late."

"You sound you have this planned to a 'T'."

I shrugged. "And you sound worried."

Wolf huffed. "Hardly. It just makes me curious how far you'll go before you're caught."

"I'll be getting an earful from Fox in the morning. You can be sure of that. Not to mention Peppy…" I made a face. "You're right. We should turn back now."

He laughed at that. There was silence between us until we got to the compound where the military held all confiscated ships and such. True to my sources, his wolfen was there. Hara was waiting out front for us. When I stepped out of my vehicle with Wolf, Hara quickly greeted him with a punch to the face.

"Hara!" I scolded her. "What are you doing?! This is not the time or place!"

"Oh please!" she argued. "After all he's done to you? That punch is the kindest thing I could have given him!"

He wiped some blood from the corner of his mouth and smirked. "Your roommate is charming."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Give her a break, she's my best friend." I turned to Hara. "His ship?"

She grinned mischievously. "Like taking candy from a baby. All of the boys are properly taken care of."

"I knew I kept you around for a reason," I teased.

She led us straight to the wolfen. She snuck over to the controls and disengaged the lock on the ship. She waved us over and he and I met her at the controls.

"My, my, you two make quite the team," Wolf praised. "You ladies would fit right in at Sargasso."

"Good grief, just go already," Hara huffed.

I turned to my friend. "Hara, could you go keep a lookout? I'll be right there."

She gave me a nod then went on her way. I went back to Wolf.

"You better get out of here. There's still a chance we could get caught."

He gave me a sideways glance. "As hard as it is for me to say, Kell… Thanks. I appreciate this."

The look in his eye… It made me uncomfortable. I didn't know if it was respect or something else entirely. I didn't want to think about the latter.

I shook off the feeling. "Don't get all sappy on me now, Wolf. Go."

He gave me a mock salute then went to man his ship. He took off without a hitch and I went to meet up with Hara. As soon as I got to her, I found that she had been held up.

Most of the men were military. But then I saw the familiar faces of my brother and Peppy. I cursed. Some of the men heard me and rushed to me. They immediately had me put my hands behind my head and put me on my knees. By then, Fox and Peppy finally saw me.

"Are you kidding me right now?" Fox scolded. "I figured you were involved with Hara here but, I really hoped it wasn't you."

"What?" Peppy asked. " _You_ were the one that got Wolf out? What were you thinking?!"

"I was thinking that he was put in there for the wrong reasons," I told them irritatingly. "This is ridiculous. Are you really going to arrest me?"

"Wolf is an interstellar criminal," Peppy explained. "And you just… _let him go_."

"You're right. I did. And for the right reasons. May I go now?"

"Why did you break him out?" Fox asked.

"Because you took advantage of the fact that he came to mine and Falco's rescue. He was there to help me and you took advantage and arrested him anyway! That's disgusting on so many levels, Fox. The only reason Falco even got to you was because of Wolf. Wolf made sure I didn't bust my head open on the way to Blackout City. Instead of looking at the facts, you just put him behind bars. Aren't you supposed to do the whole, 'innocent until proven guilty' thing?" I was so mad that I could spit. My brother, of all people, should understand where I was coming from on this. I actually saw a flicker of sympathy over his features.

Peppy's voice cut into my thoughts. "Not when you have a track record as extensive as Wolf O'Donnell's."

That was the straw that broke the camel's back. "You know what?" I got to my feet and pushed off the men who tried to put me back on my knees again. "I'm done with your hypocritical bullshit. If you're not going to charge me with anything, my roommate and I are going home."

I stomped past Peppy and Fox, grabbed Hara's hand and took her back to my vehicle. As soon as we got in, I let out the breath I didn't realize I had been holding. Hara laughed.

"Whew! Well, that was exciting," she said. "I seriously thought that Peppy was going to have them arrest you."

"He would have," I admitted quietly. "Look, I really don't want to talk about it. We did what we thought was right and that's that. End of story."

There was a pause between us.

"So… what now?" she asked quietly.

I shrugged. "Nothing I guess. I think I'm just ready for some good news."

"You never know. Good news usually comes when you least expect it."

Hara couldn't have been more right. Early the next morning, I got a phone call from the hospital about the little girl I had saved. She had finally woken up from her coma. I didn't even bother changing into day clothes. I managed to remember to put on pajama pants then Hara and I sped to the hospital. I nearly toppled over some of the nurses to get to her room. I stepped in to see her sitting up in bed and flipping through the pages of the book I left on her table. There was another nurse with her checking vitals and such. The nurse gave me a once-over then smiled.

"Excited?" she asked, clearly amused by how I was dressed.

I couldn't help but return her smile. "You have no idea."

She acknowledged Hara's presence with a nod then turned to the little girl.

"Conna, there's someone here to see you."

I reveled in the fact that I _finally_ knew her name. She had been in that coma for a year. I didn't know anything about her when I saved her and no one knew anything after she was here. And now… I could have honestly cried over this.

She looked up at me from the book. She had beautiful green eyes that seemed to glow. She would be quite a beauty when she was older. I watched as she suddenly got shy.

"Please don't be afraid," I pleaded as I approached her bed. "My name is Skye. My friend's name is Hara. I was the one that found you and made sure you were okay."

"And you read to me…" she murmured softly.

I nearly melted. Her voice was so sweet. And she remembered that I read to her. Wait a minute…

"You heard me?" I asked, completely bewildered.

She gave me a small nod. "You picked good books. Some of them were a little old for me but, even those were good."

Hara giggled from behind me. "I like her already. This is going to be a good relationship, I think."

"Relationship?" Conna asked. "But I… I have so many questions…"

The nurse gave me a light tap on my shoulder. "I'll let you handle this one. I'll be close by if you need me."

I thanked her and she took her leave. Hara and I pulled up chairs, trying to be prepared for any questions Conna had for us.

"How long have I been asleep?"

Of course that would be her first question. Hara and I exchanged glances. I almost didn't want to tell her the truth. I cleared my throat and turned my attention back to her.

"It's been a year, Conna."

Her eyes widened as the truth of her reality sank in. "A year…? I've been asleep for a year…?" She looked at her hands as she clenched and unclenched her little fists. "My birthday… And holidays… I've missed them all… And school…"

My heart broke a little at her revelations. She was robbed of a year of her life. How was I supposed to help her cope with that? She was just a kid… I didn't know what to say or do for her.

"My parents…" she murmured. "They're gone too, aren't they?"

I nodded. "I'm sorry, honey. There was no trace of them."

She shook her head at me. "I don't know if I should be happy or sad…"

That caught me and Hara off guard.

"What do you mean, sweetie?" Hara questioned.

She looked up from her hands. "My parents… they were never home. I was usually home alone while they worked all the time. I had to teach myself how to cook and clean and all of that… The only times I ever saw them were on holidays and… my birthday…"

"What's the last thing that you remember?"

She paused and thought for a moment. "I remember… I remember mommy running in. She was scared. Something was going on outside but she wouldn't tell me what. She told me to run but… Before I could get away, some people came through the door. I don't remember anything after that."

That didn't explain anything…

"Conna, I found you in your bedroom closet," I explained. "You have no idea how you got there?"

"No. I don't remember."

There were a few moments of complete silence when there was a knock on the door. The nurse came in to check on us.

"I'm sorry, Miss Kell. I know I told you that I would be down the hall but, I was wondering if I could speak with you."

I excused myself from Conna and Hara and met the nurse in the hallway. She had a clipboard in her hands which told me that she was ready to tell me more about Conna.

"Lay it all on me," I told her.

The nurse smiled prettily then got started. "Her name is Conna Elizabeth Marshall. She's the daughter of Sean and Kelly Marshall. According to this she just turned ten years old."

She handed me the file to look over. The nurse looked into the window.

"How is she?"

I looked up from the file and sighed. "Can I ask a dumb question?"

"Shoot."

"How do you help a little girl deal with missing a year of her life? And her parents… She seems like she's relieved that they aren't around anymore… How do I help her with that? I don't know the first thing about children."

The nurse gave me a knowing smile.

"Just be the best that you can be for her. That's really all I can tell you. I don't have any children of my own either, so… I have no place to give you advice on how to raise her."

I smirked. "I like your honesty."

She gave me a wink. "I'm Dorothea, by the way."

"You can call me Skye."

"Let me know if you need anything else, Skye. I'll be around."

She left me at that. Hara stepped out of the room to speak to me.

"What's the plan?"

I looked down at the file in my hand then back to Hara. "You still alright with her staying with us?"

"Of course I am."

I gave her a nod. "Then that's the plan. We'll let her live with us for a while. Then she can decide what she wants."


	10. Chapter 10

Conna was released from the hospital that night. Hara and I wasted no time getting her home and giving her the grand tour. We assured her that she had free reign of the apartment and she could do as she pleased. I had also told her that we would wait on getting her into school until she was ready. Baby steps and all that.

A few days passed and she seemed to open up little by little. I had walked in on her cooking one afternoon. She caught me off guard by how clean she kept everything during and after preparing the meal. She was a decent chef too. The food she made was fantastic. She was definitely a keeper.

We were sitting at home a few days later when she had told me that she finally wanted to go out. She wanted to go to a park to run around and get some energy out. I was happy that she was ready. We quickly dressed and were about to walk out the door when there was a knock. I answered the door to find Falco on the other side. His arm was out of the sling and he looked a lot better.

"Hey," I managed to get out through my surprise.

"Hey," he simply replied.

Conna came up behind me and smiled up at Falco. "Hello there."

Falco's eyes widened. "She woke up…" He looked at me. "You didn't call or anything."

"I didn't know that it mattered to you."

"I would have liked to know."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Falco," Conna said to him. "I was afraid to ask Skye to call you…"

I glanced to her then returned my attention to Falco. " _Mr_. Falco?"

"He visited me too," Conna explained. "He would bring other books and read to me. And talk to me…"

I gave Falco the most deathly glare I could muster. "Who's keeping secrets now?"

"Are we seriously going to start this in front of her?"

"We were actually on our way out. I'm taking her to the park. So, if you'll excuse us…"

"I'll come with you then. I could use some fresh air."

"You're coming, Mr. Falco?" Conna asked.

He smiled to her. "Of course. I'll come hang out."

She pushed past me to hug him. He gave me a sly grin then led her to his vehicle. I followed after them in a huff and got into the passenger seat. Falco took us to the biggest park in the city. Conna wasted no time in going to run around and play while Falco and I found an empty bench.

Even though he wasn't honest with me, I couldn't find it in me to stay mad. It actually made me feel better that someone other than me and Hara cared about her and would take the time to see her in the hospital. I was relieved more than anything. Falco sensed that I had calmed down and we went on talking like normal people.

"How did she take everything?" he asked.  
"How do you expect a kid to react to losing a year of her life? She was more upset about losing a year than she was about losing her parents. Shocked the hell out of me and Hara."

"She wasn't upset about her parents? Seriously?"

I nodded. "Apparently they weren't around much anyway. They were just people who brought her into the world and lived with her. Her mother tried to protect her from Andross's men when they came but… Other than that, there wasn't a real relationship. Conna was self-sufficient. Why have children if you're not going to spend time with them?"

Falco gave me a sideways glance. "What about you?"

His question caught me off guard. "Me?"

"Ever thought about having children?"

I smirked at the irony. "Children are out of the question for me."

He was shocked by my reply. He turned his full attention to me. "What? What do you mean 'out of the question'?"

"I had an accident a few years ago that rendered me unable to have children. It's not a big deal."

"How can you be so nonchalant about it? You're not the least bit upset?"

"I did my grieving, Falco. Things happen for a reason. I've come to terms with it."

"And Fox?"

I huffed. "Yeah, that's something I'm going to sit down and talk to my brother about. 'Sorry Fox, I'm not going to be able to give you nieces and nephews because I'm an idiot and got myself into a pickle that I couldn't get out of.' I can totally imagine how that conversation would go. I can't deal with the pitiful look in his eyes. Kind of like the look you're giving me now."

He quickly looked away. "I wasn't… I mean…"

"You're forgiven this time. Look, I was young and had just started with working with Craig. I thought I was invincible. Things got out of hand and I paid the price."

Falco quickly turned on me then. "He's awfully blasé with your life, isn't he? Between this and your run-ins with Wolf-"

"It's not like that, Falco," I interrupted. "Not by a long shot."

"Then what is it like?" he demanded. "Because, again, I can only imagine how different this whole situation would be if Fox found out his sister was dead or dying because of her boss."

"Don't make it sound like you know everything that is going on. Craig feels guilty about anything and everything that ever happens to me. Believe it or not, he cares very deeply for me…" I trailed off.

Falco caught on. "I sense a 'but' in there."

I sighed. "He's made it clear that he wouldn't even be with Melissa had he met me first. Don't get me wrong, he loves her and he's not going to ever leave her. He's done too much and given up a lot to be with her. But don't think that for one second that he doesn't care about what happens to me. He plays a good game and knows how to not let anything show. He beats himself up every waking moment over what he's put me through. You have to realize that I am the only pilot on his payroll that knows his secrets. He trusts me and I trust him to not put me in a situation where I'm not going to come back. Craig is a good man and I will vouch for him any time his character is in question."

Falco seemed surprised by my rant. He put his hands up in surrender. "I'm just trying to look out for you, that's all. I meant no disrespect." He let out a sigh. "So, I heard you busted Wolf out of prison."

I rolled my eyes. "Pulling out all the stops today, aren't you?"

"I just wanted to tell you that I think you did the right thing."

I paused for a moment. "Hold on… You actually think I did the right thing in busting him out? I think hell just froze over."

Falco didn't find it funny. "I'm serious, Skye. He helped us when he didn't have to. The fact that he stuck around even when the Cornerian fleet was on its way, I'd say he deserves a free pass for that."

"Why don't you tell me how you really feel, Falco?" He was hiding something, I could see it.

He instantly got uncomfortable. "I don't like how he handled you."

" _Excuse me_? What do you mean by 'handled me'?"

"He just seemed too familiar, that's all. And the worry that he had for you… It makes me uneasy, Skye. He's hiding something."

"He usually is… Look, if you're worried that he's got goo-goo eyes for me, trust me, it's not reciprocated."

"Have you ever had a boyfriend? Like, ever?"

"I don't think that is any of your business, Falco."

"Humor me."

My death glare returned for a moment. "I don't think so. It's none of your business if I've had previous relations. I don't ask about yours."

"I would be honest with you if you asked me."

"Not going to happen."

"Ask me anything."

"No."

"You don't trust me?"

"Not as far as I can throw you."

"Geez, you two argue like a married couple." It wasn't until then that I realized that Conna had approached us. She came over and sat in between Falco and me. "Can't you two just get along?"

"No," Falco and I said at the same time. He and I exchanged a glance for a second then turned away from each other.

For some reason my heart wouldn't stop pounding. Why did it even matter to him if I had had a boyfriend before? What was he hoping to find out? Was he really as interested as Fox and Craig claimed? Is that why he didn't like Wolf being around me? Regardless, he shouldn't be so overprotective. He had no claim to me whatsoever. Especially if he couldn't even be honest with me about how he feels.

Conna's voice cut through my thoughts. "Skye, I'm a little hungry. Can we go eat?"

I gave her a nod. "Of course we can. Falco and I will show you one of my favorite places."

We took her to the café that Fox and Falco had taken me. Afterwards, Conna had asked me about hobbies and such. Falco beat me to the punch and had told her that I loved to dance. When she got excited, I conceded and showed her the dance studio that I always went to. She went from room to room to see some of the other patrons. She was enjoying every second of it.

"What kind of dancing do you like?" Conna asked.

"Well… I… I like a little of everything I guess," I answered.

She turned to Falco. "What about you, Mr. Falco? Do you dance?"

Falco got flustered at the question. "I, um… I know how to but it's not exactly a favorite pastime."

"He totally dances," I told Conna, throwing Falco under the bus. "You should see him. He's quite good."

He gave me a dirty look. Conna smiled then exchanged glances with both of us.

"Would you show me?"

My heart sank when I realized what she was insinuating. Falco gave me a smug grin. I turned back to Conna. While I was trying to embarrass Falco, I ended up embarrassing myself.

"I don't think that's such a great idea."

"Please?"

I couldn't argue with her big eyes. Falco held out his hand.

"I'll keep it PG this time. I promise."

I glanced at his hand then up to him. I slowly put my hand in his.

"Don't get any ideas, Falco. This is only because she asked."

"Of course."

He led me to the center of the room and maneuvered us into a waltz position. I motioned to Conna to press play on the radio that was in the room. A slow, classical song began to radiate through the room. Falco began his steps, flawlessly moving me with him.

This dance was different than the rumba that we did last time. Last time, it was a game of dominance, to see who could outdo the other. This time it was almost like… A truce… It was hard to describe… I didn't know how to take it or what to do. Something in him had changed, even if it was just for this one moment.

The music began to slow even more and finally ended. He dipped me slowly and brought me back up to him. My heart pounded as we stared at each other. Conna's clapping was the only thing that brought me back to reality.

"That was beautiful…" she murmured. "I've never really seen dancing before now…"

I quickly came to my senses and pushed myself away from Falco. He watched my face as I felt the panic set in. He tried to reach for me to stop me but I instinctively stepped back.

"Skye, wait-"

I shook my head and kept backing up until I hit the barre. I grabbed Conna's hand and pulled her with me to try and make a quick getaway.

"Skye! Please wait!" Falco called after me. "Just listen for a second!"

Conna kept pulling away from me. "Skye, what's going on? Mr. Falco is trying to talk to you."

"We're going home, Conna. I will explain later. I promise."

She simply nodded and let me lead her back home, while my heart was left in a jumbled mess…


	11. Chapter 11

That night, Hara rushed home from work after I had left her a panicked message about my waltz with Falco. I also mentioned that Conna was a witness to all of it and also the reason why it even happened in the first place. Needless to say, Hara wanted all of the details.

"Honey, you look all shaken up," Hara said as she brought me a stiff drink. "What in the world happened?"

I downed my drink and before I could answer, Conna bounded into the living room.

"She really likes Mr. Falco," Conna told her.

I face-palmed myself. Hara was trying to hold in a laugh.

"It's bad when a ten-year-old can see through you."

"I don't even know how to feel…" I told her honestly. "It was a completely different vibe than the last time and… Gods, Hara… It was romantic… I don't even know right now…"

Conna sat in between me and Hara. "He totally likes her too. I caught them arguing like an old married couple while we were at the park. They had no idea that I was listening."

Hara's interest piqued. "My, my… Tell me all about it, sweetie. I want to know everything."

"Of course you do…" I groaned. "Look, it's not what you think. I know it looks like but-"

Conna stopped me. "Why can't you be honest with yourself?"

"Because there's no way that I'm falling for him! He's arrogant, self-centered, rude... He's just not my type."

"Do you even know what your type is, Skye?" Hara teased. "Between Falco and Wolf, they pretty much have the same qualities."

I was confused. "Wolf? What does he have to do with this?"

"Don't think I didn't hear you two talking when we busted him out of jail that night. He's into you."

"Hara, I know you're just being my friend and poking fun at me but it's seriously tiring… It's unnerving that you, Fox, Craig and now Conna are all on the same brain wave. Please just leave it be."

Hara raised her hands up in surrender. "Alright. I don't know what you plan to do with this triangle of yours but, if you really don't want to go for either one and stay in denial, you need to be prepared no matter what happens. Just keeping it real, Skye."

A few weeks passed without much happening. Conna decided that she was ready to go back to school. She seemed to adapt pretty well considering she had missed out on a year. She asked about Falco every few days or so but was always met with disappointment. She was set on getting me and Falco together somehow. I didn't know how to feel about that…

I threw myself into work to keep my mind off of it all. They were small missions so I didn't require an escort on most of them. I honestly didn't need an escort at all but Melissa insisted.

One night, Hara came home late to announce that a party that she had put together for work was short on staff and it was too late to try to replace them with others who could have possibly taken their place. She quickly turned to me and assured me that it would only be for the night and I could make drinks behind the bar with her. She had also told me that I would be getting paid for my work. I couldn't help but laugh at her panic. I, of course, agreed to do it for her. When she gave me the uniform, a feminine tuxedo short dress, I asked her what kind of crowd we were hosting. My stomach shrank at the answer.

A few days later, we went to set up for the party. Conna was in school for the time being and had assured us that she would be fine at home while we worked.

People began to flood in right at dusk. It didn't take long for Hara and me to get busy with men and women wanting to get a little tipsy. I noticed some of the military big wigs walk in, even General Pepper. Craig and Melissa had also shown up formally dressed. They both stopped by the bar to see me.

"Skye!" Melissa greeted excitedly. "We didn't know that you would be working this event."

"And I had no idea that you two were on the guest list," I told her as I made them some drinks. "I'm actually just filling in for the night."

"Are we expecting any other important people?" Craig asked, giving me a wink. I had already told him about the last encounter with Falco.

"I hope not," I snorted. "Especially after last time."

Just as I said that, I spotted Falco dancing with a gray and white cat. I nearly dropped the glasses I was holding. Craig and Melissa followed my gaze.

"Well, well," Craig mused. "He moved on quickly, didn't he?"

I shook off the shock. I didn't care. It's not like we were together or anything. And yet… The jealousy I felt was tangible. I shouldn't have felt this way about Falco being with another woman. I wanted to find out who she was and what she was doing with him. I was being protective and territorial over nothing.

"He's a grown man, Craig. He can do as he pleases."

"Are you not mad?" Melissa asked.

"Should I be?" I played it off well, I thought. Craig gave me a look that said that he wasn't buying my act.

He let it go without calling me out on my bluff. He put an arm around his wife.

"Well, my dear, we should let Skye get back to work."

"Of course." She turned back to me. "Have a good night, Skye. Just focus on you, okay?"

I gave her a nod and a smile and they took their leave.

It calmed down a while later. Hara and I got to the point where we just began to clean up and close down the bar. As I was wiping down glasses, Falco's new fling came over to see me. She was beautiful, to say the least, in a hardcore, tomboy kind of way. She had on a really tight, body-hugging, cocktail dress. It kind of made me uncomfortable to see her so confident in something so skimpy. I tried not to show my insecurity.

"So, you must be Skye Kell," she purred. "Falco has told me a lot about you."

I glanced up at her then went back to wiping my glasses. "And yet I know nothing of you."

She chuckled. "I apologize. My name is Katt Monroe. I used to run with Falco in the Hot-Rodders."

I stopped what I was doing then and gave her my full attention when she told me that. I smiled to myself at the ridiculous things I was thinking before now. Of course, she was an old friend of his. Of course, she was an old gang member of his. But that still begged the question of why she was here…

"Is something funny?" she asked.

I shook my head. "Sorry. I'm just… being an idiot." I held out my hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

She took my hand and gave it a quick shake. "Likewise."

"If you don't mind me asking, Katt, what brought you here tonight?"

"Falco invited me. I happened to be in town and there happened to be a party he had to go to. How did you end up working the bar?"

"My best friend's company usually organizes these parties. Her help canceled at the last minute."

Katt gave me a sly grin. "So you get roped into helping. That's rich."

"It has its rewards."

Just as I had said that, Falco strode over to meet up with Katt. Katt looked up at him, a mischievous gleam in her eye.

"Look, Falco. I seem to have found your new fancy. I have to say, I approve." She took a closer look at me. "Come to think of it, as pretty as you are, you kind of remind me of another certain fox…"

"That's enough, Katt," he scolded her. "She gets enough mocking from her friends. She doesn't need it from you too."

Katt ignored him. "Surely you can help me out, Skye. Give me a hint."

Hara wandered over at that point and stood next to me. "Is there a problem?"

"No, it's fine, Hara," I assured her. I glanced at Falco for a moment. He shook his head at me, silently telling me not to tell her of my relation to Fox. I turned my attention back to the feline before me. "If you speak of Fox McCloud, then yes, I'm his younger sister."

Her expression fell at the information I just gave her. "You're serious?"

"Why would I lie about that?"

She turned to Falco. "I see the appeal… Trying to taste the forbidden fruit, are we?"

She quickly stomped away. Falco shot me a dirty look.

"You couldn't keep your relationship to Fox to yourself, could you? Just once."

"She asked a question. I answered. Simple as that," I replied, matching his venom.

He took off at that. Hara put a hand on my arm.

"Are you okay?"

I gave her a nod. "Just fine. Now I know where he stands." I went back to cleaning glasses.

Hara kept pushing. "I know you're upset, Skye. You can talk to me about it."

I wanted to so badly… The way he talked to me just now, I couldn't deal with it. Not to mention Katt's comments about me being "forbidden fruit". It was obvious to me that she knew more about his feelings than I did. That didn't sit right with me at all… He could be honest with her but couldn't be honest with me? I was supposedly the woman that he likes but why not just tell me instead of giving me mixed signals? I was so irritated by it.

"Skye?" Hara prodded.

"We can talk about it later. I promise. Right now, I really just need to digest what just happened here."

Fox had called to check on me a few days after the party. Falco had told him about what had happened. Fox didn't want to know any details, he just wanted to see how I was feeling after it. I told him the truth, saying only that I didn't know how to feel about it. All of the mixed signals he was giving me was sending me into a whirlwind of emotions that I didn't know how to deal with. I wasn't prepared to deal with them. Fox understood and told me to call him if I needed anything. Even though I appreciated the sentiment, I definitely wasn't going to be calling him about my feelings.

I, instead, threw myself into work again, as I always did when I didn't want to deal with the problems at hand. When I arrived at Gilford, Craig was there to meet me. The look on his face told me that I wasn't going to like this next delivery.

"What did you give me now?" I questioned. "You look like I'm about to pummel you as soon as you give me the bad news."

"You just might." He came to my side and walked with me to my ship. "Peppy called in for supplies for the Great Fox. No one else is available to take it."

I groaned. "So I automatically get volunteered… Fantastic…"

"If I had any other choice, believe me, I would've taken it. I really don't want to keep putting you in uncomfortable situations with Star Fox."

"It would seem that it can't be avoided." I looked up at him as a thought hit me. "Craig, why aren't you with my ship over-seeing the packing?"

"I'm actually training someone to take my place. I can't be at this forever, Skye. Even you know that. I'm preparing for the inevitable. I've still have awhile to go but, just in case."

"I don't want to be here if you and Melissa aren't here. You can forget it. I'll sooner get a job with the military."

Craig chuckled at that. "It's reassuring to know where your loyalties lie."

I gave him a wink. "I'll never give you a reason to doubt it."

A few elevators later, we were in the bay where my ship was docked. Packing was finished and a bobcat was over at one of the posts doing some paperwork. I knew that he was the one that Craig was training in an instant. I didn't like the look of him, not one bit. Something about him was off.

"Ah, Leonard," Craig greeted his protégé. "I want you to meet our star employee, Skye Kell."

Leonard immediately came to me and shook my hand. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Kell."

"Please, Skye is just fine," I told him.

"Well, Skye, your ship is ready to go. I hope you have a safe trip."

I gave him a nod then shot a look to Craig. He gave me a nod telling me that he understood. As I walked to my ship, my gut was telling me that something was wrong and I needed to double check my ship. I shook it off, thinking that it was because I had a funny feeling about Leonard. I let it go and went on my way to the Great Fox.


	12. Chapter 12

The Great Fox was sitting in Corneria's orbit, easier to find than I had expected. I radioed in to the massive ship and got an immediate reply from Peppy.

"Well, hello, Skye. I didn't expect Craig to send you."

"Give me a break, old man. I'm all he had to spare. You better be lucky that I took this job. Otherwise, you wouldn't be getting anything until tomorrow."

"Now, now, no need to get snippy. I'm just surprised that you didn't mind coming here."

"Oh, believe me, I mind. I just like getting paid. Now, can I dock or not?"

He sighed over the com. "Of course. Make yourself at home."

I docked my ship inside the Great Fox. Slippy, Fox, and even Falco were waiting for me. I hopped out of my ship and met them. Slippy came to me first.

"Skye! It's so good to see you!"

I couldn't help but smile. "It's good to see you too, Slippy."

Fox came to me next. "I assume your trip went well?"

"No Star Wolf attacks, if that's what you're asking. I don't think I'll be seeing Wolf for a while."

"You mean because you got him out of prison?" Falco said.

Shots have been fired…

I gave him a dirty look. "If I recall correctly, you were the one that told me that I did the right thing in getting him out." When he couldn't give me a decent comeback, I smirked. "That's what I thought."

He and Fox went to work on unloading my ship. As soon as they opened the door, I noticed that the giant packages in the front weren't packed well enough to stay up. They began to fall toward Fox and Falco.

"Look out!" I cried as I ran toward Falco to push him out of the way. Slippy managed to get to Fox in time before the crates came down on top of them.

I looked down at Falco and instantly got embarrassed. I landed on top of him and happened to be straddling one of his legs. I pushed myself up quickly before anyone else could notice. He seemed to be just as flustered as I was.

I helped him to his feet then went to check on Slippy and Fox.

"Are you two alright?" I asked as I helped Slippy.

"Yes, thank goodness," Fox said.

"That was a close one!" Slippy cried.

I stepped over to where the crates had fallen and looked into the back of my ship.

"The rest of them are packed correctly," I noted. "It was just these in front…" I looked to Fox. "These were packed that way intentionally."

"Craig let this happen?" Fox asked. "I thought he oversaw all of the ships getting loaded."

"He didn't this time," I told him. "He's teaching a new employee to take his place. Still, something isn't right. I have to talk to Craig."

I ran off into the ship to get somewhere alone to call my boss. He picked up on the first ring.

"Skye? Is everything alright?"

"I think you need to have a good talk with your replacement. The crates in the front nearly made Fox and Falco pancakes."

"Is everyone alright?" he asked, sounding very concerned.

"Yes. With some quick thinking on mine and Slippy's part, they're just fine."

He let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. Leonard will get an earful from me the next I see him."

I was confused. "When you next see him? What do you mean?"

"He disappeared shortly after you left. No one here has seen him. There's something in the log about a ship leaving but, no sign of him."

I heard footsteps behind me. I turned to see Falco.

"Are you alright?" he mouthed silently to me.

I gave him a nod then turned my attention back to my phone call. "As soon as I'm done here, I'll be there to help investigate. Until then, keep a close eye on any more suspicious activity. And please look out for Melissa."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Craig said. "We'll get to the bottom of this. See you in a bit."

I hung up with him after that. I faced Falco as I put my phone in my pocket.

"I'm sorry that this happened," I apologized. "Craig and I will take care of this and the man responsible will be dealt with."

"Well, if not for you, I wouldn't be able to stand right now."

I let out an exasperated sigh. "I don't know how to deal with you. You're rude to me one moment then thankful the next. I'm tired of the hot and cold bullshit that you keep pulling. Between Katt's comments and your actions, I can't freaking deal with it. I just can't."

I tried to step past him but he gently grabbed my arm and stopped me.

"Please, listen for a second. That's all I'm asking of you right now."

I turned to him and crossed my arms. "Spit it out already."

"Look, I… I'm sorry that Katt said what she said in front of you. I'm extremely embarrassed about it. And the waltz…"

I stopped him there. "I really want to know what that was about."

He seemed confused. "What do you mean?"

"I felt a change in you that day… You were dancing with me because Conna had asked you to but, something was different. _You_ were different. And then you show up with Katt at the ball and…" I took a deep breath. "I'm not going to lie to you, Falco. I feel a connection to you that I feel like I shouldn't have. I _feel_ something for you and I can't decide if it's irritation that I may like you or irritation at the fact that you can't even be honest about your feelings. I don't expect us to have a relationship or anything, I don't even want a relationship with you or anyone else right now. But I do expect your honesty. If you can't be honest with me then, whatever _this_ is, doesn't need to go farther than acquaintances. I can't even have a decent friendship with you if you can't be honest with me."

There it was… My heart on my sleeve. Or, at least as much as I was willing to put on my sleeve. He just stared at me for a few moments after my rant. I watched the emotions play in his eyes but, he couldn't seem to put it into words. He looked away from me for a second.

"I… I don't know how to respond to that…"

I huffed. "At least you're being honest now."

"What do you want me to say, Skye?"

"I don't care, as long as you're truthful. If you hate my guts, say it. If you never want to see me again, say it. I just want to hear it from you. That's all."

He paused.

"I… I just…"

"Hey!" Slippy called. "Are you two going to stand around all day or help me and Fox unpack?"

I let out a sigh. "We'll be right there, Slip." I looked up at Falco. "My heart can't take the uncertainty, Falco. And it certainly can't take the back and forth nonsense. I'm not a yo-yo and I'm not some lovesick little school girl that's going to follow you around and hope that you return my feelings. I'm not going to wait around for an answer. I'm not going to waste my time and energy on something that might or might not be. If and when you figure it out, then come talk to me. Just be prepared for the outcome, good or bad."

I took my leave of him and went to help the boys with unloading. As soon as we were done, Fox came to me.

"Falco didn't come to help. What did you say to him?"

"I'm sure if you ask him, he'll tell you. You seem to be privy to our adventures."

"Skye…"

I sighed. "I'm sorry, brother. I'm just frazzled. Between this mishap and Falco and now Craig is telling me that the guy responsible has disappeared-"

"Wait, what?" Fox interrupted. "The new guy is gone? How?"

"I don't know. I have a bad feeling about all of this."

"And Craig? Surely he knows something."

"I think he's in the dark just as much as we are. It wouldn't surprise me if he was the target." The realization hit me as soon as I had said it out loud. "Craig's the target… But why? Why would somebody…" I glanced up at Fox. "I have to go. He has to know."

"Skye, wait a second." I gave him my attention. He looked like he was about to say something but then thought better of it. He gave me an assuring look. "Go warn your friend." He glanced over as Falco entered the hangar. "I'll do damage control here."

I smirked. "Believe me, there's a lot of damage. Good luck with that."

I climbed into my ship and went straight back to Gilford Station. Melissa was waiting for me as I docked my ship. I met her and walked with her toward Craig's office.

"So you're not going to believe who is here," she told me as we rode the elevator up.

"After today, I don't think I'll be surprised about anything."

"Oh, really?" her interest piqued. "Told Falco?"

"Oh, I told him alright," I chuckled. "But I told him what he needed to hear, not what he wanted. I'll tell you everything later."

We got off the elevator and stepped into Craig's office. I stopped in my tracks when I saw his visitor. Craig sat in his giant chair behind his desk while Wolf O'Donnell stood before him. Wolf turned to Melissa and me. I couldn't tear my eyes away from him.

Melissa giggled. "You were saying?"

"I stand corrected…" I murmured.

"Hello again, Kell," Wolf said to me.

I shook off the shock and stepped toward him. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"He came to warn me," Craig answered for him. "Apparently Leonard stays at Sargasso."

"Sargasso? He lied about who he was?"

Wolf nodded. "He's been receiving coms from an unknown employer for some time now. After you got me out of the brig, Leon and I did some digging into your crash that got me dragged to Corneria in the first place. Turns out that your guy is the same one that tampered with your ships."

"Why?" I demanded. "Why go after me if Craig is the target?"

"Besides me, you're the closest person to my husband," Melissa explained. "If something happened to you, it would draw Craig out into the open. Perhaps that was the plan."

I thought for a moment. "He timed our ship malfunction perfectly to put us down on the green planet. But he didn't count on Wolf to rescue us. He packed my ship the way he did in hopes of crushing me instead of us being able to avoid it. Which means…"

"He was lying in wait around the green planet and at the Great Fox for me to show up," Craig said. "And when I never came…"

I looked up at Wolf. "Did he return to Sargasso before you came here?"

He shook his head. "Leon will contact me as soon as something out of the ordinary comes up." Wolf turned his attention back to Craig. "You wouldn't happen to have any enemies, would you?"

Craig grinned. "Sure I do. But not as Craig Masters."

Wolf seemed confused. Craig got up from his chair and let out a sigh.

"If you find any more out, Wolf, please don't hesitate to come back. I'd like to keep this situation under control as much as possible. I can compensate you for all that you've already done."

"That won't be necessary," Wolf answered quickly. "I'm not doing this for you. This idiot is going to ruin everything we've built at Sargasso. Even I have a little bit of honor. He's a coward and his boss even more so. I'll be damned if I let him come back without figuring out what he's doing and who his boss is." He shot me a look that made my heart flutter. Something told me that he was doing this for a different reason than the one he explained.

Craig noticed then smiled. "Of course. Let me know when you catch him at least. I would like some questions answered."

Wolf gave my boss a nod then excused himself. I quickly followed after him.

"Please, wait, Wolf," I called.

He faced me when I caught up to him.

"I just wanted to thank you. You didn't have to come warn Craig but, you did, so, thank you for that."

"Again, I didn't do it for him."

"Then who or what did you do it for?"

He looked away from me, inadvertently answering my question. I was surprised.

"You did it for me…"

"I was paying you back for busting me out. Nothing more."

His answer deflated me.

"Glad we got that out of the way," I huffed. "For a minute there I thought you cared about me. Or my boss."

"I didn't want to give you the wrong impression. My apologies."

I went to walk past him but stopped right beside him. "When you find this guy, don't bother Craig with him. I want to take care of it."

"Why?"

"Because he's threatened one of my best friends. He _will_ pay for that. Dearly."

Wolf chuckled. "We'll make a criminal out of you yet, won't we?" He put a hand on my shoulder. "Watch your back, Kell. He's going to try again. Considering that he's already failed twice, he's going to try something a little more drastic to try and keep you down."

"I'm a big girl, Wolf. I think I'll be fine." I left him at that.

He was right though. I had to keep my guard up. No doubt Leonard's boss was getting antsy about getting me out of the way… The next time he tried, he wouldn't be pulling any punches. He was going to make sure that I was down for good. One thing was for sure; there was no way I was going down that easy. Not without a fight.


	13. Chapter 13

Over the next few weeks, Craig kept me out of work. He insisted that I stay under the radar until this whole matter was settled. I couldn't keep still. Not for a moment. As soon as Conna went to school and Hara went to work, I would be at the dance studio for most of the day then be at the school to pick Conna up in the afternoon. Conna really enjoyed spending time with me but would ask about Falco every now and again. She would beg me to call him but I gently told her that there wasn't any way that he and I would be talking for a long while.

Just when I thought I could rest easy about the situation with me and Falco, there was a knock at my door when I was home alone one day. I went to answer, opened it, saw that it was Falco then shut the door in his face. He knocked again.

"Come on, Skye," he said through the door. "Please don't be like that."

I leaned my head up against the door. "What do you want?"

"Honestly? I don't even know. Well, I know that I wanted to personally invite you to another ball tomorrow night. Other than that…" I heard him let out a frustrated sigh. "I don't know what coming over here would accomplish. You're angry with me, I get it. I'm not trying to treat you like a yo-yo and I'm sorry if you think that's the case. Honestly, I feel a connection with you too. I just don't know how to deal with it or if I want it to be something more."

I grinned at his confession. I slowly opened the door.

"Now we're getting somewhere," I said softly. I motioned for him to come in.

He stepped in with some trepidation and I shut the door behind him. I crossed my arms as I faced him.

"Now that you've finally been honest with me, where does that leave us?"

"Hopefully decent friends, at the very least."

I chuckled. "I suppose that will have to do. I can deal with it if you can." I held out my hand for him to shake on it.

When he went to take it, I quickly jerked my hand away.

"Not so fast, bird. I have some terms you need to follow. Provisos, if you will."

He gave me a sour look. "You can't be serious… What more could you possibly want? I was honest with you like you previously required."

I ignored his complaint. "First off, don't think that this arrangement is an okay for a friends-with-benefits deal. It's not happening."

"Wasn't even going there…"

"Second, I need your honesty. Today was a start but you need to keep it going."

"That includes you too, Skye. I'm not going all the way if your intentions are to go only half."

I arched a brow at him. "You're kidding, right?"

"Thirdly," he said, "We need to trust each other. That's something that's hard for both of us but we can work on it. Trust isn't earned in one day."

I nodded. "Agreed." We finally shook on it. "Now that we've got that out of the way, what's this about another ball? When do they end?"

Falco sighed and moved to sit down on the couch. "They don't. And as long as we're not on mission, Star Fox's presence is required. Either Fox will ask you to come or I can. Which would you prefer?"

"My brother or the guy that likes to pull my chain… Huh, that's a tough one."

He laughed at that, a real laugh. It caught me off guard. Before I could say anything about it, the door opened to Conna walking in. I looked at the time and realized that I missed the time to pick her up.

"Oh my gosh! Conna, I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention to the time!"

"That's alright, I took the bus," she told me sweetly. She saw Falco on the couch. "I see you were quite distracted."

I felt the heat rush to my cheeks. "That is not how it was! You brat!"

She giggled and ran to sit next to Falco. She hugged him. "I'm glad you two figured it out, Mr. Falco."

He returned her hug. Watching them like that made my heart melt. He was so sweet to her. It kind of made me jealous.

The door opening again tore me from my thoughts.

"Oh my, I didn't expect you to be here, Falco," Hara said, closing the door behind her. "I've gotta admit, I've kind of missed you."

"Good to see you too, Hara," he smirked.

Hara put her bag down and pulled me into the kitchen for a private talk.

"What happened while I was at work?" she asked.

"He came by and was honest with me. I think we've come to an agreement on how we can make this friendship work. He's a necessary evil so I better make the most of it. And he wanted to invite me to another ball. It's tomorrow night."

Hara lit up at the mention of a ball. "So, we're going shopping?"

I chuckled. "Yes, we need to go shopping."

She got a mischievous gleam in her eye. "We're taking Conna with us. She's bent on getting you guys together and would want to go with us."

I rolled my eyes. "Good grief you two… Fine, we'll kick Falco out and go."

We went back into the living room to find Falco and Conna wrestling on the floor. They pushed everything out of the way so they would have more room. Conna had Falco pinned.

Hara and I laughed at the sight.

"Alright Conna, Falco has to go. You, me, and Hara are going shopping."

They both looked up at us.

"Shopping for what?" Conna asked.

"I have to get a new dress for the ball tomorrow. I can't possibly wear the same one twice." I gave her a wink.

Conna got excited and jumped off of Falco to come hug me. "Count me in! Let's go!"

Falco got to his feet and dusted himself off. "So, that's a yes to tomorrow?"

"Don't worry, Mr. Falco," Conna replied before I could. "I'll make sure she finds something nice for you."

He got down to her level. "I'll keep you to that." He faced me. "I'll pick you up?"

"Sounds good."

"Eight?"

"Fine with me."

"See you tomorrow then." He gave a wave to Hara then left the apartment.

Hara looked to Conna. "Let's not let Mr. Falco down."

I groaned as I was dragged out of the door. I was in big trouble with the girls running the show…

Needless to say, I was right… Hara and Conna had agreed on a deep red dress that was one shoulder and had a printed sash that ran at an angle right underneath my bust to my hip. The dress was form fitting so it showed all of my curves and was floor length. It would definitely knock some socks off, that's for sure.

Hara did my hair and make-up for me. She swept my hair to the side that didn't have a strap and just left it down. She also hooked me up with gold hoop earrings and gold bangles for my wrist. When she was done with me, I put on my gold heels and went to the mirror. I hardly recognized the diva looking back at me. It was so much… Almost too much for me.

I heard the knock at the door and it was moments later that Conna called back to us. My heart began to pound.

"You ready?" Hara asked.

"Am I allowed to have cold feet?" I swallowed.

"Why would you do that? You look smokin' hot! You're gorgeous!"

I groaned. "That's the problem…"

She handed me my gold clutch and gave my hands a reassuring squeeze. "It'll be alright, Skye. I know it's a lot to take in but… Please, go enjoy yourself. Or, at least try. Falco came to your doorstep to ask you to this. Surely that means something."

I hugged my friend deeply. "I love you, Hara."

"I love you too, girlie. Now, don't make him wait much longer. Go bring the house down."

I took a deep breath and walked toward the living room. Conna couldn't keep still. She was so excited to see me off. Falco stood at the door in a clean tuxedo. He looked like he was extremely uncomfortable. Conna saw me first.

"Skye! You look incredible!" she cried. "What do you think, Mr. Falco?"

Falco turned to watch me stride toward him. His discomfort quickly melted away and a look of awe replaced it. I instantly got embarrassed with him staring at me.

I cleared my throat. "So… will this suffice for the night?"

He snapped out of his shock. His smile was gentle. "What kind of question is that? You look…" He gave me another once-over. "Perfect."

Oh goodness… If my face got any hotter and my heart pounded any harder, I feared that I would explode. I could barely breathe…

He finally offered an arm to me. "Shall we?"

I hesitantly took his arm, the girls saw us off, and he led me to his vehicle. It was silence all the way there until we parked the vehicle and I saw the enormous gathering of people going in. I just about lost it.

"I can't go in there."

Falco was confused. "Why? What's wrong?"

I nodded toward the crowd. "I can't with all of those people. No way."

He looked at the crowd then back to me. "Don't tell me that you don't do crowds…" He shook his head. "How is that possible? You did just fine at the last one. And the one when Fox took you…"

"I had Fox to support me the first time and, if you recall, I was amply distracted. The last one I was behind a bar the whole time with Hara. Hardly an area where I can get trampled on and suffocated."

He got out of the vehicle and walked around to my side. He opened my door and knelt down to me.

"Look, I would be seriously disappointed if you got all dressed up just to turn around when you see how many officials and military are invited. Especially when I've been looking forward to this since I asked you yesterday."

That last bit threw me off. I finally glanced at him. "You've been… Looking forward to this? And with me?"

He frowned. "You look like you don't believe me."

I quickly shook my head. "No, no, it's not that. I just… Have to get used to you being honest. It's nice."

He smirked then stood. He held out his hand. "I know Fox isn't here to walk in with you this time. But, you have me. I won't let anybody trample or suffocate you. I promise."

I smiled up at him and took his hand. He helped me out of the vehicle then offered his arm. We went slowly so I wouldn't turn tail and run. It wasn't until we got into the ballroom of the building that the anxiety went into overdrive. There were too many people. Falco put his hand on top of mine and leaned down to my ear.

"You're cutting off circulation, Skye."

I loosened my grip that I didn't realize had gotten so tight on his arm. He kept his hand on mine to keep reassuring me. He was leading me to a corner where Fox, Slippy, Peppy and even General Pepper were talking. Fox and Slippy were the first the notice us. Or, rather, me. Slippy just about dropped his beverage. Fox couldn't tear his eyes off of me.

When we finally got to them, Peppy and General Pepper finally noticed us as well. Peppy actually spewed his drink.

"My, my," the General mused. "Who is this vision of beauty?"

"General," Falco said to him as he led me forward. "May I present Skye Kell."

The General took my hand and placed a brief kiss on it. "Kell? I believe we have previously met."

"Briefly," I told him. "You were awarding Craig and Melissa Masters for their constant support of the military a while back."

"Ah, of course. I would have never recognized you. You look beautiful, my dear."

"Thank you, sir."

Fox took my attention next. "Hara did a number on you this time, didn't she…"

"Actually, you can blame Conna for this one. Hara did my hair and make-up though."

"So they double-teamed you," he laughed. He kissed my cheek. "You look amazing, little sister."

"Thanks."

He borrowed Falco for a moment giving Slippy the okay to come see me.

"Gosh, Skye. You look fantastic."

I giggled. "Thank you, Slippy. I never thought I would get this much attention. In fact, I kind of hoped I wouldn't." I grimaced at the thought.

Falco touched my elbow moments later. "Want to go dance?"

I looked past him to see the horde on the dance floor. I looked back up at him. "I don't think so."

He followed my line of sight and traced his gloved fingers down to my hand, giving me goosebumps where he touched me.

"You have nothing to worry about. I've got you. I promise."

He made his promise sound so believable… I let him lead me to the dancefloor. I could feel the eyes of jealous women and lusting men all over me. I just knew they were talking about me… I didn't like it.

Falco and I got into position and began to slowly dance. He noticed that I was spaced far away from him. He put his hand at the small of my back and pulled me to him, just like he did before. And, as it was before, my body betrayed me and melted into him. He felt me tense.

"It's okay, Skye. I need you to focus on me. I would really appreciate you not making a fool of yourself and running out. Focus on me. It's just you and me."

I tried doing as he wanted and just breathed in and out in slow breaths. It seemed to help a little but, it didn't help with the feelings I was dealing with while dancing with Falco. He's gone above and beyond tonight, trying to keep me calm and reassuring me… In that moment, I saw him with new eyes. Something had changed between us and I think he felt it too. At least… I really hoped it wasn't one-sided.

I began to lean in and placed my cheek against his shoulder. I felt myself relax around him. I could just focus on him and this dance.

The music ended and Falco slowed to a halt. I looked up at him and he was giving me this look… Like, he wanted to say something but he couldn't get the words out. I stepped back slowly, the heat rising to my cheeks again.

"I, uh… I need to get some air…"

I took off toward one of the balconies to get away from the crowd and Falco. My heart was pounding, even after I was away from him. I couldn't be falling for him. Not in a million years could I fall for a guy like that. He was arrogant and gruff and… Who am I kidding? That bad-boy attitude kind of drew me to him in the first place. And the fact that he likes to pretend he doesn't care when he really does. He's so good with Conna and tonight… He's done nothing but make sure I was okay. I was falling, I was falling hard… I didn't like it one bit.

"Skye?" Falco called from behind me.

I jumped at his voice, not hearing him come up behind me.

"Are you alright?" He came closer. "You're flushed."

"I'm fine," I lied. "It's the number of people. I don't do crowds."

As I turned to him, I caught a shimmer from the corner of my eye. It was so far away…

"What is that?" I asked.

Falco moved to look with me. "It looks like a fighter."

"It's getting awfully close…"

Just as I said that, I saw two sparkles, indicating lasers being shot.

"Look out!" I shoved Falco back inside the building.

Before I could get away, the lasers hit the balcony, making it crumble from beneath my feet. I went to grab the side of what was left of the platform and missed. I was falling… Just when I thought I was going down, Falco grabbed my wrist. I dangled precariously from where the balcony used to be. I could hear the screams from all of the guests inside. They were all in a frenzy as they tried to get to the nearest exit. Falco tried to keep a steel grip on me.

"What the hell is going on?!" he cried to me.

"It's Leonard! It's got to be!"

I watched as Falco struggled to get me up. There's no way he could do it without some help. I knew that in my heart… All he could do was wait and hope that he didn't let go of me.

The fighter pulled up behind me and aimed straight at me. I got a good look at the guy in the cockpit. It was definitely Leonard.

"Oh shit…" I heard Falco say. "Skye!"

Leonard began to charge his lasers once more. It was over… I was going to die here… Tears began to prick at the corners of my eyes as the inevitability of my demise hit me.

Leonard was about to shoot when another pair of lasers caught him on the side and sent him crashing down. The blast shook the building, making me swing forward. Falco lost his grip on me and I fell as he screamed my name. Everything seemed to go in slow motion. I was falling to my death… I was going to be a Skye Pancake…

I looked over and saw another ship coming for me. Instead of shooting at me, the ship broke my fall as I landed on a metal plate, knocking the wind out of me. My vision got hazy from the impact. I looked to the cockpit to find Wolf flying the ship. I managed to give him a weak smile before I completely blacked out.


	14. Chapter 14

I awoke in a lot of pain. The side of me was stiff and I couldn't move without hurting myself. The room was dark except for the lamp beside my bed. Peppy was sitting in a chair beside me, using the lamp to give him enough light to read his book without disturbing anyone else. I looked around to find most of my friends were there. Hara slept on the couch, leaning over the armrest while Conna had her head propped in Hara's lap. Falco had dressed down and was asleep in a chair in the corner.

Peppy noticed I was awake and put his book down. "Glad to see you're alive, Skye," he said quietly. "How do you feel?"

"Broken," I croaked. "I hurt so much…"

"I can get the nurse to get you more painkillers," he offered.

"Later. Tell me what happened."

"What's the last thing you remember?"

I thought for a moment. "Wolf… Wolf caught me with his ship. No doubt that's why I'm in so much pain…"

"Luckily, nothing is broken. How you managed that, I will never understand. You'll be black and blue for a while though, that's for sure."

I looked at my wrist where Falco held onto me. There was a faint purple ring all around. He was really holding on…

"As for what happened," Peppy continued, "we rushed out to meet Wolf and Leon, after you were miraculously saved, to find you unconscious. Wolf explained to us the situation with your boss and then some. And they took the man who shot at you back to Sargasso for questioning."

I looked around the room and noticed that someone was missing. "Where's Fox?"

"Getting coffee. At least, that's what he told the nurse. No doubt he went to try and get a hold of Wolf. He figured you would want to speak to him."

I smiled weakly. "Is he a mind-reader now?"

"Well, considering all of this has a lot to do with your boss, he knew you would want to hear most of it from Wolf." He cast a glance to Falco then returned to me. "Falco hasn't left your side. It wasn't until a little bit ago that we convinced him to get some rest. He's been extremely worried."

I believed him… The fearful look in Falco's eyes when he lost his grip on me… It made me sick to my stomach just remembering it.

"He's got a lot to say to you as well," Peppy said. "Craig has been calling every hour on the hour to check on you."

I felt the panic rise in me at the mention of Craig. "Please tell me that he hasn't left Gilford Station."

"He sends his apologies for not being here. So, no, he hasn't left Gilford Station. You have nothing to worry about. He's not dumb enough to play into his enemy's hands, whoever they may be."

I let out a sigh of relief. "Good. I'm glad." I felt myself getting sleepy again.

Peppy noticed. "Get some rest, Skye. You'll need it for everyone tomorrow."

I managed a nod then slipped into sleep.

I woke with a start from a nightmare about my falling from the balcony. I startled Fox who was sitting beside me in a chair.

"Are you alright?" he asked worriedly.

I wiped the sweat from my brow. "Yeah… Just a nightmare…" I eyed him strangely. "You look like you have something to say to me…"

"Actually…" He got up from the chair and went to the door. "I have a visitor for you."

He opened the door and let in Wolf O'Donnell.

"You have ten minutes," Fox informed Wolf. Fox left at that.

Wolf stood at the door for a minute then finally looked to me.

"You look like hell, Kell."

I smirked. "I'm sure."

He strode over and sat in the chair that Fox left. Wolf cleared his throat.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I had a brush with death and I can't get decent sleep. But I know you didn't come here to talk about my health." I looked at the clock. "Nine minutes left."

I saw the smirk tug at the corner of his mouth. "I'll cut to the chase then. Leon and I took Leonard back to Sargasso for questioning. His real name is Cameron Tally. We haven't been able to get much more than that. We'll starve him for a few days then see if he's a little more talkative then."

"Nothing on his contact? Or his boss?"

Wolf shook his head. "Whoever it is, Tally is getting paid big bucks for his silence. We've been keeping an eye out though. No doubt his boss will show up soon since he hasn't called in for a few days. You should keep tabs on Craig and his wife."

"He's been calling every hour to check on me, according to Peppy. When he stops calling, then I'll be worried."

Wolf shifted nervously. "Look, Kell… There's something you need to know about your boss…"

"Believe me, nothing you say will surprise me. In fact, if you're about to tell me that he's Cyrus Astaire, it took you long enough to figure it out."

This information caught Wolf off guard. "You knew?"  
"Of course, I did. I'm not an idiot, Wolf. What kind of poor sap do you take me for?"

I couldn't help but take some pleasure from watching the confusion and surprise play on his features. No doubt he would tell Fox and the others about my boss. Unless he already had. I was almost positive that he had told them already. Not that their opinion mattered. Craig was my friend and I wasn't going to betray him. I glanced at the clock.

"Seven minutes."

"Who else knows?"

"His wife, for one. I'm the only one in his employ that knows about him. Now you and you most likely told my friends and family."

He looked a little sheepish at my last remark.

I let out an aggravated sound. "You son of a-"

"Now, now, Kell. No need to get feisty. If it's all the same to you, I was trying to look out for you."

"Oh, how kind of you…" Sarcasm dripped from my words. "I can take care of myself, Wolf."

Wolf snorted. "Clearly. Not like you're in the hospital or anything. If it weren't for the bird's quick thinking, you wouldn't even be alive right now."

"And what about your quick thinking?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know what you mean."

"You know exactly what I mean. Me being alive isn't just Falco's doing, it's yours too. Granted, your risky maneuver is the reason why I'm black and blue but, I'm breathing and get to see my friends one more day because of you. A thank you doesn't seem like enough."

"Don't get sappy on me now, Kell. I'm just glad I made it in time. Any later…"

"I'd rather not think about it…" I tried to change the subject. "I have another favor to ask of you."

"Name it."

"I want a chance to question Tally. I need answers and I need them now. And no one, _no one_ , threatens my friends and gets away with it. I want to know who he's answering to."

Wolf smirked at my request. He pulled a hospital notepad from the nightstand beside me and scribbled on it. He tore off the paper, folded it then handed it to me.

"My number for when you get out of the hospital. I can sneak you into Sargasso so you won't get into any trouble with the other criminals and pirates."

I looked up at him from the paper in my hand. "Thank you… You have no idea what this means to me…"

"You can tell me later. I'm sure my time is just about up."

True to his prediction, Fox opened the door to check on us.

"Your ten minutes are up, Wolf. You've got about three until the military shows."

"Yeah, yeah…" Wolf got up to leave the room. "See you around, Kell." He made a quick exit.

Fox let Conna and Hara in to see me. Conna came running in and jumped onto the bed to hug me. I winced in pain.

"Gently, Conna," I told her. "I'm still really sore."

She backed off immediately. "Sorry," she giggled. Then she turned serious. "Don't you ever scare us like that again. Hara and I were so worried."

I smiled. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I'll make sure I'm more careful next time."

Hara took the chair next to me. "We're just glad that you're alive. Everything with Wolf went okay?"

I nodded. I noticed that Fox was still standing at the door so I dropped my voice so only her and Conna could hear. "He's going to let me question the guy who's been targeting me." I turned to Conna. "Conna, would you mind if I went away for a few days? I have to get to the bottom of this."

She gave me a sweet smile and put her hands on mine. "Do what you have to do, Skye. Go save your friend."

I looked to Hara as I realized that Conna knew what was going on. "She knows?"

"She's a sneaky little devil," Hara winked. "She heard everything Wolf had to tell us." She gave me a strange look. "I know you knew about Craig's secret, otherwise you wouldn't have continued to work for him. I know you better than that."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Hara."

She shrugged. "It's not your secret to tell. Besides, the less people that know, the better off he'll be. Except that now, everyone in our little group knows. As well as Star Wolf. Even if this whole situation has a happy ending, he'll have to shut down Gilford and start all over again somewhere else."

"Better that than the alternative…" I murmured.

"Agreed."

"All the more reason to find out who's behind all of this, right?" Conna asked.

"That's right," I nodded.

I happened to look over at the door to see Falco talking quietly to Fox just outside. Hara followed my line of sight.

"He feels like crap over what happened," she said.

"I'm not angry with him."

" _I_ know that. But he doesn't. Let him speak his heart. I know he's got a lot he wants to say."

I gave her a nod then she and Conna took their leave. Hara let Falco know that I was ready for him. His eyes met mine then he slowly strode in. He closed the door behind him then came over and turned the chair around so he could straddle it. He rested his arms on the back of the chair.

The silence was thick between us.

"Hey," I managed to say, not really sure what to say to him.

"Hey."

"So… how are you feeling?"

He snorted. "I should be asking you that question."

"Then why haven't you asked it yet?"

"Because I'm sure you're sick of people asking you the same question."

I shrugged. "One more time won't kill me. Besides… I'm worried about you too."

That got his attention. "After all that's happened, you're worried about _me_? I'm not the one that almost died here."

"No, but… I know you're blaming yourself for what transpired. Just so we're clear, this is not your fault."

There was a pause and he looked away from me. "But I let you go… If it weren't for Wolf… I'm so sorry…"

I reached over and touched his elbow. He turned his attention back to me and seemed surprised that I was so calm. I gave him a small smile.

"If it weren't for you and Wolf, I wouldn't be here right now to forgive you. It's done and over with, I'm alive and well. Bruised and battered, but alive. That's better than anything else. I'm just glad that you were there with me." I went back to lying against the headboard of the bed. "Now, there's no need to dwell on that. Put it out of your mind and let's move on. Deal?"

It took a moment but he finally conceded. "Deal."

"Good. Down to business… I'm assuming Wolf filled all of you in on Craig's past?"

"Yeah. How did you-"

"I already knew he was Cyrus Astaire. So please don't even mention it."

A flicker of shock came and went in his eyes. He then turned serious. "Then what's the plan?"

I gave him the paper that Wolf gave me. "Wolf has promised me a chance at questioning Tally."

He glanced at the paper then looked to me. "Are you sure about this?"

"I don't think I've ever been more sure about anything."

He handed me the paper but kept a grip on it when I tried to take it from him, forcing me to look at him.

"Do what you have to, Skye. I… I'm…" he trailed off for a moment. He was about to finish what he was saying then thought better of it. "Please be careful. Don't do anything that you'll regret."

He slowly got up from the chair, releasing the paper, and went to the door. He paused and turned to me.

"Give 'em hell, Skye. I know you'll save Craig." He left me at that.

I looked down at the paper in my hand and let out a sigh. "No turning back now…"


	15. Chapter 15

I was released a few days later. With Hara and Conna's blessing, I made a B-line to the port for my fighter then commed Wolf.

"About time you called, Kell," he answered. "I was worried that you had chickened out."

"Well, hello to you too. How's our prisoner?"

"Still not budging. Think you can break him?"

"I'm not giving him a choice."

He smirked. "I'll meet you in the hangar. Don't worry, no one will mess with you."

"Oh, I'm not worried."

I arrived at Sargasso and docked in one of the bays. Wolf and Leon welcomed me along with a black feline.

"Kell, this is Panther," Wolf introduced us.

Panther took my hand and kissed my knuckles. "Enchante, mademoiselle. It is a pleasure to meet you."

I was flattered. "The pleasure is all mine, Panther." I turned my attention to Wolf. "Take me to Tally. We don't have time to waste."

"Right this way."

They lead me to an elevator that shot us up quite a few stories. The elevator stopped after several minutes and opened up to a long hallway. The hallway was lined with giant windows every few feet with one door beside each. The boys led me to one of the windows at the very end. It turned out to be a one-way glass, we could see him but he couldn't see us.

Tally looked pretty ragged. He sat in a chair with his hands tied behind. He was slumped over to the side, still conscious.

"We've starved him, beat him, and even promised his freedom and compensation if he would cooperate," Wolf informed me. "No clues or anything to lead us to his boss."

"Maybe you need to something a little more… Drastic." I felt something change in me then. I was determined to find out who was going after my boss. I was just about capable of anything at this point. He threatened my friends and nearly killed me in the process. Those indiscretions weren't going unpunished.

I looked up at Leon. "Care to join me?"

Leon smirked as if knowing what I was planning. "Gladly."

He and I went in together, leaving Wolf and Panther outside of the room. Leon shut the door behind us. Tally looked up at me and went pale at the sight of me.

"No! How are you still alive after that?! You should be-"

"Dead?" I interrupted, circling him like a predator about to kill its prey. "I don't go down that easily. If you were thorough, it shouldn't have taken you three tries and you wouldn't have failed. In fact, you're going to give me the name of your boss and I'll be on my merry way. No strings attached. Or this will get very ugly."

Tally scoffed. "I've been here for days being tortured by Wolf O'Donnell. If he can't make me talk, what makes you think that you will?"

"Because Wolf's friends aren't the ones you've threatened," I told him matter-of-factly. "I'm on a revenge mission now. One, that, could've been avoided had you just killed me. You underestimated me, that's mistake number two. Now, give me the name of your boss."

He answered with his silence. I bent down and pulled a knife out of my boot. I played with it for a moment then flipped it in my hand and drove the blade straight into Tally's thigh, all the way to the hilt. Tally's scream was deafening. Maybe it would get my point across. I heard Wolf cry my name from outside of the room. Leon locked the door before Wolf could enter. I grinned at the chameleon.

"I see you're breaking rules."

He shrugged. "This is getting interesting. I'm not about to stop you."

Wolf kept banging on the door and yelling profanities.

"He's not too happy with you," I told Leon.

"He'll get over it."

I turned my attention back to Tally. I pulled the knife out of his leg and he let out another wail. He gave me a piercing look and seethed.

"You bitch!"

"Awww… Don't hurt my feelings, Cameron. Just give me a name and this will all be over."

"Not a chance."

I drove the knife into his other leg, let it stay for a moment and pulled it out. Tally's screech was just as wretched as the first. He began to sweat from the strain. Wolf kept banging on the door for me to stop. I easily ignored him.

"A name, Cameron," I demanded. "Or your arms will be next."

He panted from the pain he was most likely feeling but didn't answer me. I strode over to Leon.

"He's wasting my time." I pulled Leon's blaster from his hip and aimed it at Tally. "He's useless to me if he won't give me a name." I saw the panic settle in his eyes. "I'll give you to the count of three, you sack of shit."

He shifted uneasily in his chair.

"One."

He began to hyperventilate.

"Two."

Wolf's incessant pounding was beginning to irritate me. I was ready to put this guy out of his misery.

"Three-"

"Wait!" he finally called out. "The guy's name is Pete Liger! That's all I know, I swear!"

The name struck a chord in me. I tossed the blaster back to Leon and stepped closer to Tally.

"Pete Liger…? Craig's old partner?" I asked. "He was locked up the last I…" I trailed off. If I remembered Craig's story correctly, in order to be able to change his name and marry Melissa, he had to find a way to get out of the criminal world. So he named his partner to get amnesty and Pete got locked up while Craig was free to marry his now-wife and start his business.

The reality of the danger Craig and Melissa were in struck me like a blow. I turned to Leon.

"Unlock the door."

He did as I ordered and opened it for me to leave. As soon as I stepped out, Wolf grabbed me and pinned me against the opposite wall.

"What the hell was that?! Do you have any idea what you're opening yourself up to?!"

I shoved him away from me. "I did what I had to! Now shut up while I make a phone call."

I pulled out my phone and dialed Craig. My heart sank when I didn't get an answer. I called again. Still no answer.

"What's wrong?" Wolf asked.

"Craig isn't answering my calls…" I looked up at Wolf. "Craig _never_ misses my calls. Pete's already there. I know it." I ran toward the elevator with Wolf close behind me.

I got to the elevator first. The door closed before Wolf could get in. I immediately called Fox.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Thank goodness you answered!"

"Skye? What's wrong? Why do you sound panicked?"

"I got the name. It's Pete Liger, he's Craig's old partner. I don't have time to explain everything right now but Craig isn't answering my calls. Pete's there, he's going to hurt Craig." The tears I was holding back began to flow. My hysteria was getting almost out of control. I took a deep breath and wiped my tears.

"You have to calm down, Skye. Falco and I will head to Gilford. We'll take care of this."

"No way. I'm not going to depend on you and Falco. Craig and Melissa are my friends. It will be too late by the time you get there. Just let General Pepper know that he has a hole in his maximum security prison." I hung up with my brother by the time the elevator opened to the hangar.

I bolted to my fighter, pushing past the criminals that were hanging around and quickly took off.

My mind was all over the place. All I could think about was the "what-ifs". I couldn't keep focused on one thing. My comm beeped at me with an incoming transmission and nearly made me jump out of my skin. I let it through.

"Not now," I replied irritatingly without finding out who it was.

"Skye, you're going in way too hot," Wolf's voice echoed around me. "You have to calm down."

"Calm down? How can you possibly say that to me? My friends are in the hands of a notorious felon and I have no idea if they are okay or not. But you want me to calm down. That's rich, even for you."

"I'm not letting you go in alone."

"I don't need or want your help."

"I'm not giving you a choice."

I was relieved that I wasn't going to be alone. There was no way I was going to tell Wolf that.

"Fine," I huffed. "We're going there to buy time for Fox and the military to show up. Nothing more. We don't use force unless we have to. Capiche?"

I heard his chuckle then let the silence take over. I commed into Gilford to let them know of my arrival with no reply. I docked into the station with Wolf right behind me. As I tiptoed around, I realized that there wasn't a single soul. Wolf came to my side.

"There's no one here," he noted. "It's abandoned."

"No…" I murmured. "They've all been paid off or threatened."

I went back to my ship to get my blaster. Wolf took my lead and grabbed his blaster as well.

"Any ideas on where they would be?" Wolf asked.

I thought for a moment. "I'm not sure. We need to find Melissa first. Craig would have hidden her." I pulled out my phone and called Melissa's cell. To my surprise, a shaky voice answered.

"H-hello?"

"Melissa! Thank the gods!"

"Skye? Oh my gosh! Skye, where are you? Pete Liger… Pete paid off our pilots. He's… He's…"

"Tell me later. Where are you?"

"The locker rooms… I'm in a closet."

"I'll be right there!" I hung up with her and turned to Wolf. "She's in the locker rooms. We'll find her first then go help Craig."

He agreed with me then we took off toward the locker rooms. I kept my guard up, just in case someone decided to stick around.

We made it to the locker rooms and searched a few closets. In one of the last ones, there was Melissa, huddled in a corner. As soon as she saw me, she jumped up and hugged me, tears streaming down her face.

"Thank goodness! It's really you Skye! It's really you!"

I held her tight. "I'm so glad that you're alright." I pushed her away but kept a firm grip on her shoulders. "Where are Craig and Pete?"

Melissa burst into another fit of tears. I was losing time and patience. I gave her a jolt.

"Melissa, please. We don't have much time. Where are they?"

She exchanged glances with me and Wolf. "Craig ran to his office. I don't know where Pete is." Her lip quivered as she said her next words. "Save my husband, Skye. I beg you."

"We're going to try. I called Fox. He and the military should be here any time."

"I'm going to hope and pray they make it before something happens…"

I gave her a quick squeeze on her shoulder. "Stay here. Wolf and I will take care of this."

We took off towards Craig's office. On the last elevator up, I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Something bad was about to happen, I could feel it.

Wolf saw that I was tense and sighed. "I know you're on edge, Kell. You have to relax. It's the only way for you to stay focused."

"How are you able to stay calm?" I asked him.

He gave me a look that told me he wasn't.

I smirked. "You hide it well."

"I've had practice. Believe me, I'm not thrilled about coming on this wild goose chase with you. We have no idea what we're getting into."

"Then why did you come?"

"I don't want you doing something stupid. You almost died a few days ago. I couldn't have it on my conscience knowing that I could've either stopped you or at least make sure you made it back in one piece. You have a kid at home waiting for you to return. Isn't she enough to make you want to live another day?"

I wasn't sure if I should feel touched that he was trying to keep me out of trouble or if I should be offended that he thought I was just out to commit suicide.

I let out a huff. "You shouldn't feel obligated to do anything for me. If that's the problem then butt out. I don't need your help."

The elevator came to a stop. As soon as the doors slid open, a man stood a few feet away with a blaster aimed for me. Two shots were fired…


	16. Chapter 16

I heard the shots go off but they never hit me. Wolf had jumped in front of me, taking both shots. One hit his right side while the other hit his left shoulder. He let out a deep grunt and began to fall back. I caught him before he hit the floor but his weight took us down faster than I would have liked. I cradled his head in my lap and nearly puked from looking at the blood flowing from him. He writhed in pain.

"Wolf… Gods… I wasn't paying attention… I'm such an idiot…"

"Well, well," the man that shot at us mused. "This explains why Tally never returned."

I looked up at Pete Liger who was still pointing a blaster at me. He was half tiger, half lion and had obviously had plenty of time in max to beef himself up. He didn't look at all like he did in Craig's pictures. He was a hulk of a man with long, stringy, blond hair that hung at his shoulders. He was someone to be reckoned with… And he was out for vengeance.

"A pity that Tally couldn't do a simple job," Pete sneered. He knelt down to me, not letting the barrel of his blaster drift away from me for even a second. "Now, where is Cyrus? I know you know where he is. Or, at least give me his pretty wife. You know, the princess that he sold me out for. I could kill her first and bring him her head."

"I will _never_ tell you where Melissa is," I spat. "As for Craig, I don't know where he is. All I knew was that you were going after him."

He gave me a toothy grin. "I suppose I'll have to try something else."

Pete seized the collar of my shirt and lifted me up. Wolf let out a yelp when he moved and tried reaching for me but soon gave up when he realized Pete was dragging me away and his pain was too much for him. I tried to fight Pete but his grip was unforgiving. He kicked the door in to Craig's office. Craig was nowhere to be seen.

"Come on out, Cyrus!" Pete called. "Either come out or-" he pulled me to him and put the barrel of his blaster against my temple, "your star pilot's brains will make a new mural on your otherwise bland walls."

I swallowed hard at his threat. I knew he wasn't kidding for a second. I also hoped that Craig wouldn't come out. My heart sank when I heard footsteps from the very back of the room. Craig came out from behind a bookcase with his hands in the air in surrender. He had a blaster in each hand, now pointed up so that Pete knew that Craig wasn't going to put up a fight. Craig knelt to the floor and placed his blasters parallel to each other then, rose back his feet. My heart felt like it had dropped into my stomach. I began to shake my head at him.

"No, Craig. Please don't do this," I pleaded. A few tears escaped me, knowing what was coming next.

"Is Melissa safe?" he asked me. "Is my wife okay?"

"Yes," I told him.

"Good." Craig turned his attention to Pete. "This is dirty, even for you, Pete."

"And turning your back on me isn't?" Pete seethed. "You sold me out, you bastard. All because you decided to grow a conscience. Congratulations, you got what you wanted. You had a beautiful, royal wife and you got a new lease on life while I rotted in max. You betrayed me! The great, Cyrus Astaire!"

"It wasn't supposed to be like that," Craig argued. "But you just wouldn't let it all go. Out of all the scores we had, it was never enough for you. I had found something worth having and that was it for me. But you always wanted more. It was time to let go, Pete. It was time for us to have lives and live out the rest of what we had." Craig's features softened. "We were friends once, Pete. We can be again, if you will let me. Let go of your hate. It wouldn't be a problem making a new identity for you. You could have a new life."

Pete began to drop his blaster as he thought over Craig's proposal. Part of me hoped he would take the deal and go. I wanted this to have a happy ending. My heart pounded in my ears. I watched Craig's eyes, something in them told me that this wasn't going to end like I had hoped.

I felt Pete stiffen as his resolve kicked in. He pointed the blaster at Craig.

"I think I would rather take pleasure in watching the life drain from your eyes."

Pete pulled the trigger. I let out a piercing scream that I didn't think could come out of me. The shot hit Craig square in his chest. He stood for a moment, then put a hand over the wound just to look down at the hand that was covered in his own blood. He fell backward and landed with a loud thud. I broke away from Pete to dash to my friend's side. I held Craig in my arms and tried to stop the bleeding but the pool of blood kept spreading.

"Don't give up on me yet, Boss," I sobbed. "Stay with me. My brother and the military are on their way, I promise."

Blood bubbled up and started flowing out of the corner of his mouth. My stomach lurched at the sight but there was no way I was leaving him.

"You're such an idiot, Skye," he wheezed. "You shouldn't have come."

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… Just stay with me, help is coming."

"It will be too late and you know it. Promise me… Promise me something, Skye."

"Name it and it's yours," I hiccupped.

"Take care of Melissa. Please look after her…"

"You got it, Boss."

He managed a weak smile. "I'm counting…" he took a deep breath, his last before he let out the rest of his sentence, "…on you…" His eyes closed slowly and he went limp against me.

"No…" I shook him, hoping that he would wake up. "Please Craig… Wake up… Come on…" I cried harder when I accepted that he was gone. I still held onto him.

Pete strode up to me and pointed his blaster at my head. "Now that he's dead, I can finally put you out of your misery. You're done, Kell."

I heard another gun shot from behind Pete. A hole showed up in Pete's forehead and he came crashing forward, barely missing me. I tried to see who shot him. Leaning up against the door was Wolf, keeping pressure on his side while barely keeping his blaster steady. He dropped the blaster and went stumbling forward. I ran to him and managed to catch him again. His head lay on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry…" he mumbled. "I didn't make it… in time…" He passed out.

I held him close. "I'm sorry too, Wolf… I'm sorry too…"

I heard a flurry of footsteps from the hallway. Falco and Fox arrived, along with a handful of military soldiers. Fox stopped to take in the sight of me and Wolf while Falco went into Craig's office to see the scene in there. I watched as Melissa pushed through the crowd. As soon as she locked eyes with me, a whole new batch of tears came flowing from her. The look of horror fell on her features then she made her way into the room. Her screech was heart-wrenching. She went straight for Craig's body and held what remained of him in her arms. Her wails were enough for the both of us.

"I need a medic! Now!" Fox called back. He knelt down to me, the sympathy in his eyes said it all. "We're too late… Skye… I'm so sorry…"

I shook my head at him. My tears were drying as the numbness was taking over. "It's not your fault… It's all mine…" I looked down at the unconscious Wolf in my arms. "And I brought him into it…" I glanced over at Melissa weeping over her husband's dead body. "One of my best friends is dead… And his wife a widow…"

Falco walked over to me. "Who took the final shot?"

"Pete shot Wolf twice in the elevator trying to get me," I answered distantly. "He then went for Craig while holding me hostage. As soon as Craig went down, he was going for me again. Wolf did the rest."

The medic finally came rushing in. He took Wolf from me to put him on a stretcher.

"Where are they taking him?" I asked.

"To a hospital," Fox told me. "Don't worry, we'll make sure he can't get arrested." He gave me an once-over. "We need to get you checked out, too."

I took a look at my blood-stained clothes. And my hands… My hands were completely covered.

"Trust me, none of it is mine…"

Fox helped me to my feet. "Let the medic look at you anyway."

He took me out into the hallway so that the medic could examine me. After a few minutes of blood pressure tests and being poked and prodded, I decided that I had to get these sticky clothes off. I shrugged off my jacket and started to peel my shirt off. Falco walked in on me stripping and freaked.

"Whoa whoa!" he gawked. "What are you doing?! Do you have any idea how many men are here?"

I gave him a droll stare. "Does it look like I care right now? I need these off. My friends' blood… I can't deal with all of it on my clothes."

He gave me an understanding look then dragged me into an empty closet. "Strip in here, I'll be right back." He closed the door behind him and left me in there.

I stripped all the way down to my underwear and stood waiting for him. A few minutes later, he knocked and opened the door. He stopped as soon as he saw me in my underwear and turned beet red. He shut the door.

"Damnit, Skye, I wish you had said something."

"So you saw me in my underwear. Big deal."

He cracked the door open and handed me a huge t-shirt and some gym shorts.

"These were all I could find."

I took them from him and quickly changed. I stepped out, not even bothering with my other clothes. I would just buy new stuff later and they were just going to be a reminder of how I failed my friend.

By the time I was done changing, some of the soldiers were carrying two body bags out and to the elevator. Melissa was being carried out as well, completely spent from all the grieving. I walked through the hallway and saw the drops of blood on the floor and a large smear on the wall from Wolf trying to get to me. I instinctively put my hand over my mouth, not really feeling any shock or surprise. I couldn't really feel anything at all.

One friend was dead, another in the hospital… And one friend a grief-stricken widow… It was a giant mess.

Fox came to me. "I have to call Hara. I promised I would keep her updated. Will you be alright with Falco for a minute?"

I managed a nod. Fox stepped away so he could call my best friend. Falco came back to me.

"I don't know what to do for you," he said honestly. "You've had two brushes with death and now this… I'm kind of at a loss."

I didn't even look up at him. I moved toward him and put my forehead against his chest. I slowly wrapped my arms around his waist. He stiffened at my actions.

"Skye?" he questioned.

"I just… I could use a hug right about now…" I murmured.

He gently put his arms around me and put his cheek on top of my head. He was so warm and comforting. Nothing could make this ache in my chest better right now but, Falco's embrace seemed to at least alleviate some of it. If just for this one moment… I listened to his steady heartbeat, letting the sound drag me away from the here and now. The moment was short lived as Fox came back to us.

"Conna is going to stay with me for a few days," he told me. "Hara will look after you until you can get your bearings back. Yours and Wolf's ships can stay on the Great Fox for now. I'll keep tabs on Wolf. The hospital will let me know when he wakes up from his injuries. I also called Leon. He's been granted temporary amnesty as well, for as long as Wolf is indisposed. He said he would be around."

Falco pulled away from me, clearly embarrassed that Fox saw us like we were. I didn't care right then. I didn't care about anything, I didn't _feel_ much of anything except grief and the temporary warmth with Falco. I gave my brother a nod.

"Take me home then, brother."


	17. Chapter 17

During the weeks that passed, I didn't get much sleep. I woke constantly in the middle of the night from nightmares. Nightmares about Craig's death and the guilt that assaulted me every minute of every day. I hadn't heard from Melissa since then and every time I tried calling, the phone would ring once or twice then I would be sent straight to voicemail. Conna came to visit a few days a week then go back to stay with my brother on the Great Fox. Conna seemed to be enjoying herself with Peppy and Slippy and Falco. According to her, she had been made an honorary member of Star Fox by my brother. She was very proud of herself.

I hadn't heard from anybody about Wolf's condition. Leon had come to Corneria to stay while Wolf was down. As Fox had promised, Leon and Wolf were granted temporary amnesty since Wolf had taken two shots for me. I had hoped to at least hear from somebody by now…

It was a few days later that I finally got a phone call from the hospital. I answered my cell on the first ring.

"Kell."

"Skye Kell?"

"Yes?"

"Oh my gosh, long time, no see. This is Dorothea, from the hospital. I looked after Conna when she was here."

It took a minute but I did remember her. "Of course. What can I do for you, Dorothea?"

"Actually, I'm calling to let you know that Wolf O'Donnell finally woke up. I called Fox but he said that you were the one I should've called first."

"I'll be right there." I hung up then quickly got ready.

Hara stepped into the apartment as I was putting on my shoes.

"Goodness, this is the fastest you've moved in weeks. Where's the fire?"

"Wolf's awake. I'm headed to the hospital."

"Want me to come with?" she asked.

"If you want. It's up to you."

She grinned. "Honey, you know I'm coming. You don't have to tell me twice."

We sped through the city and arrived at the hospital. Dorothea met us at the desk.

"It's good to see you again," she greeted. "Please, right this way."

We followed her to Wolf's room. On the way, she gave us an update on his condition.

"He seems to be responding well to all of the treatments we have given him," she told us. "He's healing nicely but still has a ways to go. He won't be leaving here for another few weeks. We're hoping to start him on rehab soon, depending on how much rest he gets."

"I'm sure he'll surprise you," I told her.

We got to Wolf's room. He was propped up by several pillows and able to stare out of the window. He turned to us when he heard our footsteps. His eyepatch was gone so his scar was visible but, he didn't look too bad. He managed a weak smile.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here anytime soon," he said to me. "And with your friend too."

Dorothea giggled. "I'll leave you all be. Call me if you need anything." She left us at that.

"I'll go get us some coffee," Hara informed me. "I figure you two could use a minute."

She left me alone with Wolf. I took one of the chairs and pulled it beside the bed.

"You look like hell, Kell," he joked.

"Says the guy in the hospital bed." I couldn't muster a smile like I had wanted to do. It felt like too much work. I decided to go a safer route. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been shot. Twice." He chuckled then winced in pain. "The nurse tells me that I've been out for a few weeks."

"She tells you correctly."

"Well, that's shitty. I didn't think I was such bad shape."

"You lost a lot of blood, Wolf. Your body needed time to recuperate."

He scrutinized me for a few moments. "You've changed, Kell. It's unsettling. Your fire is gone."

I shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you. My friend is dead, I haven't heard from Melissa and I'm just finding out that you're awake and alright. Forgive me if I'm not jumping for joy."

"I didn't know what to expect. But this… This isn't you."

I didn't know what to tell him. He was right, something in me had changed. I saw and experienced a lot of horrible things in such a short time and I didn't know how to deal with it.

I got down to what I really wanted to ask him.

"Why did you take the shot?" I asked.

"What shot?"

"Why did you kill Pete?"

Wolf squirmed and searched for a good answer. "He was going to kill you."

"Maybe _I_ wanted to kill him."

Wolf shook his head. "I wasn't going to let you do that."

His answer piqued my interest. "Why?"

"If you think Craig's death has changed you, killing a man would've changed you even more. You'll eventually bounce back from this. After you kill someone, you live with it for the rest of your life."

"That doesn't answer my question…"

Wolf sighed. "I didn't want you to deal with that _and_ feel the guilt over Craig's death. Better I take the shot than you. I didn't want you ruined."

My heart swelled for a second. He seemed like he cared about me. Genuinely.

"You took two hits for me…" I murmured. "That's twice you've save my life. Well, three, I should say… I suppose thanks are in order. But, honestly… Thank you doesn't seem like enough after all you've done for me. And, also…" I looked up at him. "You called me by my name. My first name. You never do that, Wolf. Ever."

He instantly looked embarrassed and uncomfortable.

I let out a sigh. "Your reasons are your own, I'm not going to push. But, just so we're clear, I know there's more to your feelings than you're letting on. You can tell me when you're ready."

"Thanks."

I got up from the chair. "I'll take my leave then. Get some rest, don't rush it."

"I'll try not to."

I left him at that. Hara was waiting just outside the door for me, chatting it up with Dorothea.

"Please keep me posted," I told Dorothea. "Trust me when I say that he may be here today but he won't be here tomorrow. Don't get your hopes up about giving him rehab. He won't be around long enough to have it."

"Do I need to tie him down?"

I shook my head. "He'll just have Leon come get him. Like I said, don't keep your hopes up. I don't see him staying."

"Thanks for the warning. I'll do what I can for him."

"I appreciate it." I looked to Hara. "I'm ready when you are."

We left the hospital and on the way home, my phone began to ring. When I checked the caller ID, the number came up "Blocked".


	18. Chapter 18

"Who is it?" Hara asked.

I shook my head. "There's no name or number." I shrugged. "No point in just letting it ring." I finally answered it. "Kell."

"Skye?"

I froze at the familiar voice. I was too stunned to reply.

"Skye, it's Melissa."

"I know who it is," I said sharply. "I just didn't expect you to call. And from a blocked number no less."

"I know, I'm sorry. I was hoping we could meet. I have a huge favor to ask you."

"You're kidding, right? You ignored my phone calls and haven't made a move to contact me. And now you think you can ask a favor of me?"

"I know it's sudden and selfish, Skye. Believe me, I feel awful asking. This is really important to me. Just a few minutes of your time, that's all I want."

I thought it over for a moment. "Fine. Tomorrow. You're invited to my apartment."

She left out a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much. I will see you tomorrow then."

I hung up on her and let out a sigh. "I can't believe this…"

"Everything alright?" my friend worried.

"We're expecting a guest tomorrow. Melissa finally decided that she wanted to talk to me."

"Don't you think you're being a little insensitive? She just lost her husband."

I scoffed. "She didn't have it happen right in front of her."

Hara gave me a dirty look. I shrugged it off.

"It's the truth, Hara, and you know it."

"It doesn't matter. Again, she just lost her husband. You need to be more understanding of what's going on in her head. Maybe, cutting you off was her way of coping with all that had happened. She was probably using all of that time by herself to tie up loose ends."

Even though she had a point, I still wasn't ready to let go of my frustration towards Melissa.

"I suppose we'll find out tomorrow when she comes by."

Melissa showed up around lunchtime. She was still wearing black for mourning but otherwise didn't look worse for wear. I invited her in and she took a seat on the couch. I sat in the chair across from her. I felt mixed emotions about this meeting. I was angry at her for ignoring me, I was happy to see that she was looking well… I didn't know how to handle all of this. Hara cut into our silence.

"Well, don't mind me. I'll just disappear to the kitchen for a hot minute while you ladies figure things out." She quickly made her escape from the awkwardness.

I turned to Melissa. "So…"

"You look good, Skye," she said.

I shook my head at her. "You don't get to give me that. I look and feel like shit. And here you are, still looking like a million bucks even though you just lost your husband."

"I did my grieving. I did enough of it to last me the rest of my life. Craig wouldn't have wanted me to wallow for very long. He wouldn't want that from you either."

I sighed. "What do you want from me, Melissa?"

"I got a call from General Pepper the other day. He wants to hold a memorial in honor of Craig. I was hoping you would make a speech. If you're up for it, of course."

I couldn't believe this… She seriously thought that she could ask favors of me? She seemed just fine while I was still reeling over all that had happened. It made me sick to my stomach and even angrier at her.

"I just lost someone close to me, Melissa. No, I'm not ready to make speeches or make public appearances."

"I lost someone close to me too, Skye."

"You weren't the one who was getting shot at!" I completely lost it and shot up to my feet. "He died in my arms! He died in my arms and I couldn't do anything to save him! I was there and I was helpless to save him! And Wolf…!" I began to calm down a little and the tears began to flow. Hara rushed out of the kitchen to my side.

"I think we're done here," she told Melissa. "You need to go. She's had enough."

Melissa got up from the couch slowly. "I'm sorry, Skye." She took her leave of us.

I collapsed against Hara and went into a fit of sobbing. She held me tight and rocked me like a child until I calmed myself. She waited until I had stopped hiccupping before she said anything.

"You don't have to do it, Skye," she told me. "You don't have to do anything you're not ready or up for. I'm certainly not going to make you."

I thought for a moment. "What would Craig want me to do?"

"Craig is dead. You can't let a dead man dictate your decisions."

I pulled away from her. "I understand but…"

Hara cupped my face and made me look her in the eyes. "Listen to me. You've been down for weeks. Wolf is awake and alive, Conna has been with Fox and the rest of Star Fox this whole time and Melissa is fine, obviously. Now it's your turn. You have to bounce back from this. You can't let Craig's death defeat you. I know in my heart that you _won't_ let this defeat you. It's not in you. So, please. _Please_ figure out what you have to do to get yourself in the groove again. For your sake and mine."

She was right. I knew she was. It was time for me to just accept everything that has happened and become stronger from it. It was time to pick up the pieces. But how long would that take? Was I really ready to let go?

I gave Hara a stiff nod. "You're right. Maybe this memorial is the closure I need. I'll do it if only to help myself and to honor Craig."

I called Melissa a few days later to apologize for my reaction and to tell her that I would be honored to speak at Craig's memorial. She forgave me immediately and completely understood why I acted the way I did. She explained that she was shutting down Gilford Station. Her reasons were sound, saying it was only a reminder of what happened and that doing it all by herself wasn't feasible unless she had a partner. She also said that she had no idea who Craig's contacts were and she had checked every journal, notepad and scrap paper found in Craig's office for anything on his contacts. She found a whole lot of nothing on that front. I knew that shutting down Gilford was one of the best things that she could do right now but, it still made my heart ache. I spent most of my time there over the years and worked for no one but Craig. Now the station was being shut down… It was a bittersweet moment.

Another few days passed when I got a phone call from Dorothea at the hospital. True to my prediction, Wolf had up and disappeared without a word. He did leave a note for Dorothea, thanking her for taking care of him. Dorothea didn't know how to react or what to tell the doctor. I felt kind of bad for her.

The day of the memorial arrived. Hara and I showed up early to find that Star Fox had beaten us there. Many military officials had shown up, along with General Pepper himself. Bill Grey and some of his Bulldog unit had arrived and some of the team from Fichina's Climate Control Center. Representatives from other planets that Craig had delivered to had made an appearance as well. It was an interesting group to say the least.

Conna came running straight to me as soon as she saw us. She jumped into my arms and gave me a tight hug.

"I've missed you, Skye," she said sweetly.

"I've missed you too, sweetie." I put her down on her feet. "Did you have fun with the boys?"

She nodded. "Yes, it was a lot of fun. I feel bad for them though. All of the freeze-dried food and protein bars they have to eat…" She scrunched up her face. "Not all of it is tasty…"

That got a small grin out of me. Fox, Slippy, Peppy and Falco approached us. Fox came to me first and brought me into a hug.

"How are you doing?" he asked as he pulled away. "I haven't heard from you except for when you were checking on Conna. I was getting worried."

"I'm here," I answered him, trying to force some emotion into my voice. "It's the least I could do for Craig and Melissa."

"Have you heard anything on Wolf?"

I gave him a nod. "He left the hospital a few days ago. I warned Dorothea that he wouldn't be staying for rehab. Leon must have come and picked him up. He was healing pretty well from the looks of things. That's the last I know of him."

"I see. I suppose it's for the best then."

Melissa met up with us to inform us that the ceremony was starting. It was a smallish ceremony. Speeches were given and then we all went home, quick and simple. Before I could leave with Conna and Hara, out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of two shadows standing behind a large tree. I excused myself and went to investigate. Sure enough, the shadows turned out to be Wolf and Leon.

"You didn't have to come," I told them as I strode up.

"We came to check on you," Wolf said.

Leon snorted at Wolf's statement. Wolf rolled his eyes.

"Fine. _I_ came to check on you. Leon is here just to make sure I don't pass out on the way back to Sargasso."

A grin tugged at the corner of my lips but didn't make an appearance. "You disappointed Dorothea. You should've stayed for the rehab for at least a few days."

He shook his head. "Not going to happen. I don't have any intention of overstaying my welcome. Your nurse friend did an adequate job and I didn't want to be a bother to her anymore."

I noticed he was still favoring his side. "How does it feel?"

He shrugged. "I've had better days. But I think I'll live."

I heard the scampering of footsteps coming up behind me. Conna stopped beside me and looked up at Wolf and Leon.

"Skye, who are they?" she asked.

"This is Wolf," I answered honestly. "He saved my life. And this is Leon," I gestured to the chameleon.

She shifted her gaze between the two of them then suddenly grabbed Wolf around his waist, pulling him into a hug. Wolf had no idea how to handle it.

"Thank you, Mr. Wolf," Conna told him quietly. "Thank you for saving Skye."

As soon as she said those words, I watched Wolf's hard exterior and confusion melt away. He gently returned her hug.

"You're welcome, Kid."

She broke away from him and glanced up at me. "I'll go wait with Hara. Don't be long." She skipped away from us and met back up with Hara and the boys.

"She's a sweet kid," Wolf murmured.

I nodded. "The best." I cleared my throat. "You two need to go before some of the uniforms get antsy." I looked up at Leon. "Keep an eye on him. No doubt he's going to try something stupid again."

Leon chuckled. "Like I had a prayer of stopping him."

I took my leave of them. I met back up with Hara and Conna and we went on our way home.


	19. Chapter 19

As soon as we got home, Hara got a phone call. She wouldn't tell me who it was or what the call was about, only that she and Conna were going back out for the rest of the afternoon. She and Conna left after they changed clothes and left me alone. I fixed me up a cup of coffee, got changed into some shorts and a t-shirt and popped in a comedic movie, hoping that I could find it in me to laugh or even crack a smile.

About twenty minutes into my movie, there was a light knock on the door. I went to answer it to find Falco on the other side. I sighed.

"Well, I suppose that's why Hara was so secretive about her phone call…"

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "She and Conna didn't have to leave on my account."

"I'm sure she doesn't mind. Come on in."

I stepped aside to let him in then closed the door behind him.

"I wanted to check on you. After today and your speech… It's just… I haven't talked to you since everything happened and…" He paused when he realized he was rambling. "I'm sorry, I'm no good at this. You've been through a lot and I have nothing to offer you. Nothing I could possibly say seems like enough and it certainly won't erase anything that has happened."

"The effort is appreciated, Falco."

He eyed me strangely. "You look… Exhausted. Have you not been sleeping well?"

I shook my head. "Not really. Nightmares tend to keep you from sleeping at night."

I watched the sympathy flood his eyes. "That bad?"

"Bad enough." I decided to change the subject. "Are you hungry? I can make us something. I may be a little out of practice. Conna has proven to be a master chef at her young age. I don't usually get a chance to cook anymore."

"Skye, I really don't-"

"I insist," I interrupted him. "I need to start making an effort to get back to my life anyway. Baby steps and all that."

I made my way into the kitchen and started pulling out random things from the cabinets. I wasn't even sure what I wanted to make. I wasn't sure I _wanted_ anything. If I did, I didn't know what.

Falco came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, stopping me in my tracks. He held me close and leaned down to my ear.

"You're trying way too hard," he said gently. "You don't have to rush anything. Only you can be the judge of how much grieving you should do and how long it should take. Don't bury the pain and pretend it's not bothering you, that's a sure way to drive yourself insane. It's okay to feel sad and hurt, it's okay to _feel_. Please, don't try to cover it up. I'm the last person you need to hide your hurt from. You lost a lot in an extremely short time. So, take as long as you need and forget everything else. Please, _please_ , don't give up. That's all I ask."

His words made my heart skip a beat. He was so sincere… I almost thought, for an instant, just maybe, he cared for me more than he let on. More than he wanted me to know.

I turned in his arms to face him and buried my face into his shoulder.

"I'm glad you're here, Falco," I murmured. "I thought that I could get some closure from going to the ceremony. If nothing else, it just solidified the undeniable truth that Craig is gone. My friend is gone… He's really gone and I was helpless to save him…"

"You can't feel guilty about that, Skye. Craig knew what he was getting into. I'm sure he knew there was no way out."

"Had I been just a little faster… Had I warned him a little sooner…"

"You couldn't have known what was going to happen. Had you gotten there sooner, you would be dead instead of Craig. This might sound selfish and insensitive but, I'd rather him than you."

I fisted his shirt while his words sank in. He was being honest with me. I should've been upset with what he said but, I couldn't find it in me to be angry. I began to tear up.

"Thank you, Falco…" I pulled away from him and wiped my eyes. "I think I'll try to get some sleep now. I should try while you're here." I looked up at him. "Would you stay with me?"

Falco was surprised by my request. "Stay? Where exactly? I can lay down in the living room-"

"No," I cut him off. "It won't help me if you're out here. Come lay down with me."

He began to shake his head. "But… Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't be asking if I wasn't sure." I grabbed his arm and pulled him with me to my room.

We crawled into bed and I bundled myself into his chest. After a while, I finally fell into what I hoped to be a fitful sleep.

I awoke early the next morning to an empty bed and some arguing coming from the living room. I snuck out of my room to find Hara and Falco going at it.

"I let you come over to console her, not take advantage of her while she's down," Hara fumed.

"It's not even like that, Hara," Falco defended himself. "Nothing happened. She didn't think it would help her if I just stayed in the living room. She wanted me in there with her so that's where I stayed. I meant to leave sooner."

"Gee, that's a relief," my friend replied sarcastically. "Now I know exactly what your intentions are."

"It's not like that," Falco reiterated. "What more do you want from me?"

"How about be honest with her? I see how you look at her when you think no one is paying attention. Seriously, man up. She isn't going to wait around forever. If anything, someone will snatch her up before you can."

I stepped into the conversation before Falco could come up with a comeback. They were both surprised to see that I was up.

"Skye! You're… You look…"

"Rested," Falco finished for her. "How do you feel?"

"Much better, thanks to you," I told him. "I figure you've had enough of Hara beating you up, go ahead and go. I've got damage control here."

Hara's jaw dropped. "You can't be serious. Are you really just going to let him walk out of here without anything to say to him?"

"He did nothing wrong," I told her matter-of-factly. "He did what I asked of him and that's it." I turned my attention back to him. "Go home. We'll catch up later."

He gave me a nod and made his exit. Hara looked like she was about to have a stroke.

"What are you doing?" she questioned.

"I am clearly letting him leave peacefully. As I said, he's done nothing wrong."

She arched a brow at me then her features melted into a smile. "You've got your groove back. Who knew what a decent night's sleep could do." She crossed her arms. "So, what's the plan now?"

I gave her a mischievous grin. A real grin. The first one that I had actually felt some sort of happiness behind in weeks.

"I feel the need to go to a party," I told her. "But not like the stupid balls that Fox and Falco have taken me to. Something lax, fun, without many rules. Something for you, me and Conna."

Hara thought it over for a moment. "Come to think of it… My company is hosting a small festival in a few days. It's outside, and there will be a dance party at dusk. Family-oriented, perfect for the three of us."

"Good. It's time that I get back to my life."

A few days later, Hara, Conna and I went to the festival. We went in cute dresses. Conna's was a green that complemented her eyes. Hara and I wore matching dresses, short and somewhat flared out. Hers was a halter while my sleeves were off my shoulders. The three of us looked and felt fantastic and couldn't wait to go have some fun.

As Hara had said, it was outdoors at the large memorial park outside of the city. It was a beautiful gathering, lots of families with their children, couples coming out to enjoy the sun… It made me genuinely happy. Conna had a blast playing all of the games and such. It was a wonderful day.

Dusk came and many of the people started showing up at the dancefloor at the center of the festival. There were already some fathers twirling around with their daughters and sons with their mothers looping around like happy fools. My heart swelled at the sight.

Antique jars hung from the trees with candles inside of them. Only the dancefloor panels and DJ station had electric lights all around.

Hara and I took turns dancing with Conna. While Conna was with Hara, I felt a light touch on my shoulder. I turned around to see Falco behind me. I got out of my chair to greet him.

"What in the world are you doing here?" I asked. "Not that I mind but, I'm surprised to see you."

"I wanted to see how you were doing. Obviously, you're doing fine." He paused. "And to tell you bye."

"What do you mean?"

He sighed. "Star Fox has been called on a mission. Fox says it is purely reconnaissance but, still, we don't know how long we will be gone."

My heart fell at the news. "Fox didn't…"

"We found out today. I wanted to tell you as soon as possible. And Conna…"

Conna skipped over to us and latched on to Falco's waist. "Mr. Falco! What are you doing here?"

"Yes," Hara mused as she strolled up. "What _are_ you doing here?"

My friend did not look pleased to see Falco. He shook it off and bent down to Conna's height.

"I'm going away for a while," he told her gently. "I wanted to spend some time with you before I go." He held a hand out to her. "Want to dance?"

Conna lit up at his request and let him take her to the dance floor. Hara came to my side with her arms crossed.

"Are we not allowed to have one outing without him showing up?" She spat. "Just one?"

"Instead of hating him, you should be thanking him," I said to her, matching her venom. "It's because of him that I'm out and about and having a good time."

She stiffened. "What did he say to you that I didn't?"

"It's not even like that, Hara. You're looking too much into this."

She gave me a strange look. Then realization hit her. "You love him… You've finally fallen for him…"

"I wouldn't go that far. Love is a strong word."

"Fine," she conceded. "You have _strong feelings_ for him."

"I don't know what I feel. I know I care about him and the thought of him leaving kind of hurts me but, it would seem that I managed to keep my pride intact after all that's happened. I'm not ready to admit anything yet. And I'm certainly not ready to have a relationship with him."

Hara softened then chuckled. "Your denial is adorable, Skye. I'm not going to back you up when he asks why you won't have him. If anything, I'll have my fun with him and you can be left to find someone else."

I rolled my eyes at her jabs and couldn't help but laugh. She was looking out for me in her own way, still wary of how I will react to everything.

After the song ended, Conna ran over to us with Falco close behind. A new song started, slow and romantic. Many of the couples and parents flooded the floor. Falco offered a hand to me.

"Want to join them?" he asked.

I gave him my hand without hesitation. He led me to the floor and we started to sway with the music. Instead of waiting on him, I crushed myself to him of my own accord. He noticed.

"You've finally gotten used to dancing with me."

"Despite our past, I've grown to enjoy our dances." I glanced up at him. "You look so sad. Why?"

He shook his head at me. "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to finally have a mission. I'm going crazy just sitting around. But leaving you and Conna, I'm not happy about that. Especially now that you're getting back on your feet after all of the tragedy that's been going on."

"We'll be alright," I assured him. "I have a long way to go but, I'm getting there. Conna understands better than you think. She was the one that told me to try and save Craig. She'd tell you to go do your job."

He chuckled. "I suppose you're right. Where does this leave you and me?"

"You make it sound like you're never coming back, Falco. I don't like that."

"We don't know how long we'll be gone. It could be days, weeks, months…"

"I'll still be here for when you get back. I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

"What about your job? Now that Gilford is shut down, what will you do now?"

I sighed. "I once told Craig that I would sooner join the military than work for anyone else. Maybe I'll go in as a part-timer so I'll be home every night. I heard the volunteers still get paid well."

"You never were one for being down long, were you?"

I shook my head. "Of course not. As for me and you… I care about you. Deeply. You've done a lot for me, which only endears me to you that much more. You're so good with Conna and she loves you to pieces."

"I sense a 'but' in there…" he murmured.

"I don't want to tell you things that I'm not sure of. I don't want to give you a false hope. I like my freedom, Falco. I always have. You and me… Together… It's just not in the cards for us. Not right now at least."

He was trying to hide the disappointment that he obviously was feeling. I could see it in his eyes. My chest grew tight from watching him squirm.

"Falco, I… I'm sorry…"

He shook his head at me again. He was calm as he voiced his next words. "No. Don't you dare say that to me. You have no reason to be sorry. Especially not about your feelings." He gave me a slow twirl then brought me back to him. "If anything, I understand."

"What about you? What do you think about us?"

He shrugged, trying to play off the hurt. "I wouldn't mind being more than friends. You're just extremely complicated."

I arched a brow at him. "Complicated? Me?"

He laughed at me. "Yes, you. Complicated. Between your love of freedom and your relation to Fox, you've found the two things that would stave off any kind of relationship prospects."

I laughed with him. "It seems that way, doesn't it? I promise you, it's not like that. I'm set in my ways, that's all. I've spent most of my life taking care of me, myself and I. After everything that's happened, I realize now that I'm not as invincible as I thought I was. It's going to take a while to recover from that."

"There's nothing wrong with not being invincible, Skye. It's okay to depend on someone."

The song ended and he slowly stopped us.

"I suppose that's my cue." He pulled away from me but kept a grip on my hand. "I'll see you later."

He slowly slipped his hand out of mine.

"Be careful out there," I said to him.

He gave me a nod then went to Conna to say goodbye. He left the party right after that. Hara and Conna met up with me on the floor.

"Well, ladies," I told them. "I suppose we've had enough fun for the night. Let's go home."


	20. Chapter 20

A few months went by without much going on. Hara, Conna and I went back to our lives. Conna went to school, Hara worked and I was looking in the papers for a job. I tried not to think about how much I missed Fox and the others. Especially Falco. I found myself wondering how Wolf and Leon were doing as well. I hadn't heard from anybody during that time and it was kind of lonely without all of them around. Nevertheless, Conna and Hara tried to keep my spirits up despite me being jobless and cooped up at home all the time.

It was much later that I had received a call from General Pepper's secretary. The General requested my presence immediately. I was quite confused as to why the General himself would ask for me but, how could I possibly say no?

I arrived at headquarters a little early but was let in almost instantly. The General stood at one of his large windows in his even larger office, overlooking the city.

"General," his secretary announced. "Skye Kell is here to see you."

The General turned to face me. His grin was infectious.

"Ah, Miss Kell. Thank you, Sara. That will be all for now."

Sara took her leave and left me to the General. He stepped over to me.

"I'm glad you could make it, Miss Kell. I was almost certain you would decline my invitation."

"Of course not, it's an honor to be here, Sir," I assured him. "And, please, Skye will suffice."

"Duly noted, Skye. Please, come join me." He motioned to the window.

I moved to stand beside him as I took in the view. He probably had the best one in all of Corneria.

"I asked you here to offer you a job," he informed me.

I had to do a double take at the bomb he just dropped. All of this for a job offer?

"I don't understand, Sir… A job? For me?"

He chuckled. "Yes. I have a special task force in place in the event Star Fox can't come to our rescue. This force is meant to be an undercover operation, black ops, if you will. They do dirty jobs but still maintain the integrity of the military. It's not very often that they are sent off-planet but, I'm sure they could use someone like you in their ranks. Considering your loss a few months ago and Star Fox departing for missions, I figured now would be the perfect time to ask you."

I didn't know how to react. General Pepper himself was offering me a job. It was hard to believe but it felt amazing that he was doing this for me.

"General, I'm flattered and I couldn't be more thrilled. I would be an idiot to say no. Sign me up."

"Wonderful. I'll take you myself to meet the team."

I followed after him as he took me to the elevator and pressed the button to the basement. The doors opened and revealed an obstacle course, weight room and shooting range. Goodness knows what else was here. There were maybe only twelve people in these three areas. One of them was a shirtless Labrador lifting dumbbells. The General led me over to him.

"Channery, take a break and meet the newest member of your team," the General told him.

Channery gave me a sideways glance in the middle of his rep then did as the General ordered. He dropped the weights, wiped the sweat off his brow with a towel then threw on a shirt.

"Newest member?" he asked.

"Skye Kell, this is Clint Channery, Captain of this special ops force."

Channery's eyes widened. "Skye Kell? As in, Fox McCloud's sister, Skye Kell?" His surprise turned into disgust as he crossed his arms. "To what do we owe this pleasure?"

"I see this is going to work out splendidly," I replied sarcastically, matching his venom. I turned to General Pepper. "I wasn't expecting everyone to already know who I am, General."

"Your reputation precedes you, my dear." He turned his attention back to Channery. "I expect you to accommodate, Miss Kell the best you can. She's going to be a permanent member for as long as she pleases. That's an order."

Channery glanced at me. "Even if she fails the trial?"

"If you think she won't make it, then do as you will. I can assure you, she _will_ make it."

The General and Channery had a stare-down for a few moments. Channery finally let out a sigh.

"Well, Kell. Shall we get started?"

The General grinned. "I'll leave you to it then. Good luck."

He left through the elevator. It was just me and Channery. Well, sort of. When the General left, the other twelve people that I saw earlier finally came over and took an interest in me. The first thing I noticed, they were all men. I was going to be the only female in this motley crew. That alone was unsettling. The next thing I noticed, most of them looked more like football players than members of an elite task force. I really hoped they weren't expecting me to get that buff.

Channery crossed his arms then came to circle me. "So, Kell, tell me about yourself."

"What could you possibly want to know about me?" I spat.

"Strengths, weaknesses, family. Anything that you think would be important for me to know."

"I think you know about my family."

"Besides your brother and father."

"I have an adoptive daughter at home. And a roommate that is like a sister to me."

He paused when I mentioned Conna. "Adoptive daughter?"

The other guys exchanged glances.

"Uh, yes. I found her in an abandoned building after Andross's invasion. She was the only survivor."

He resumed his pacing. "Go on."

"As for my strengths and weaknesses," I continued. "I'm a decent pilot. I used to work for Craig and Melissa Masters at Gilford Station before it was shut down. I can handle a blaster. I'm not so good with hand-to-hand combat. If I was, a lot of things in the past would have gone a lot differently."

Channery stopped in front of me. "Your honesty is refreshing, Kell. I can tell you've got fire in your soul. I can also tell it's somewhat dimmed. You've had a loss recently, haven't you?"

My eyes widened at his speculation. "How did you…"

"You'll find that I'm very adept at reading people. That's the reason why I'm Captain."

I swallowed hard. Yeah… this wasn't an interrogation at all…

"Craig Masters was one of my best friends. His death was very hard on me."

He uncrossed his arms and put his hands on his hips. "Regret is not something we allow here. Whatever doubts and fears and frustrations you have, you need to let them go. We don't have time to wallow in self-pity. Is that clear?"

I looked up at him defiantly. "Crystal."

He turned to the other men. "Don't you all have something to do?"

They all took their time leaving us. Channery came back to me. "Training starts now, Kell. You better be ready."

~6 months later

I laid on the ground with a sniper rifle and my eye looking through the scope at the target that sat 1,000 yards away. Channery stood behind me with a pair of binoculars. I made the necessary adjustments, took my aim… Breathed in, breathed out… On my last exhale, I squeezed the trigger. I waited a few moments then heard Channery let out a low whistle.

"Damn, Kell. I pity anyone who is on the other side of that shot."

I got to my feet and he handed me the binoculars so I could see for myself. I was just a hair off from the exact center of the target.

"Damn it…" I murmured.

"I don't see why you're upset. That's impressive. Especially in the short time that you've been with us."

"I appreciate the reassurance, boss, but, it's still not perfect." I rubbed at my shoulder where the gun recoiled. "And the fact that I'm _still_ not used to the kick-back is equally frustrating."

He rolled his eyes. "Gods forbid I give you a compliment and you actually take it for once."

It was obvious in the short months that I had been with Channery and the boys that I had completely earned their respect. Despite Hara and Conna having to nurse me after sparring matches and lessons in combat, Channery appreciated my determination. He also took the time to get to know me outside of my relation to Fox. I had learned from my talks with Channery that he was extremely uncomfortable around women. It was kind of adorable and hilarious at the same time. I told him that if it was easier for him, he could treat me like one of the guys. Needless to say, that meant that I got beaten up just as badly…

This new job also kept my mind off of Falco. No word came from him or Fox and it was probably better that way. The longer they were away, the easier it was to get back to me again.

Channery and I were walking back to base when he popped an interesting question.

"So, I have a proposition for you, Kell."

I arched a brow at him. "Proposition?"

"There's a formal function happening this weekend and the team is required to be there per the General's request."

"Oh, good grief. Are you seriously asking me to be your plus one?"

"Completely platonic," he quickly defended himself. "You see, I have quite a following when it comes to these parties and I'd rather not get swarmed by ravenous women."

I tried to keep from laughing but couldn't hold it in. I laughed even harder when I saw how uncomfortable Channery was with this conversation.

"You honestly think that bringing me with you will keep them away from you?"

"If they think I'm taken, then yes."

"You clearly don't know women very well. Besides, I can't have you taking me to anything formal without you meeting my daughter and roommate."

It was his turn to raise an eyebrow. "Are you serious?"

"As a heart attack. Conna is the only one that can give the okay."

"Even if it's not a romantic endeavor?"

"It doesn't matter to her either way. Honestly, she'll probably be happy that you're not pursuing me that way. She has her heart set on someone else for me. You're off the hook in that department."

He looked almost relieved to hear me say that. Who knew that Mister Macho could be so nervous around women?

"Fine. Tomorrow night. I'll meet them tomorrow night."

I grinned. "Perfect. I'll have the girls make dinner. Don't worry, you'll love them."


	21. Chapter 21

Needless to say, Hara and Conna were extremely excited to meet the Captain. He came right on time, as was his nature and was instantly bombarded with a hug from Conna. He didn't know what to do so he just pat her on the head. Conna smiled up at him, not even caring that he didn't hug her back.

"Welcome to our home, Captain. I'm Conna."

"It's nice to meet you, Conna," he answered stiffly.

I was trying to keep from laughing at his discomfort but I was clearly not doing a good job. Hara came out of the kitchen and was quite taken by him. I watched as she sauntered to him and held her hand out to him.

"It's about time that we finally meet you. I'm Sahara Sands but, Hara will suffice."

He didn't know how to take her advance. He hesitantly shook her hand. "A pleasure, I'm Clint Channery. I've heard many great things about you two from Kell."

"Have you now?" Hara asked. "Surely she hasn't told you enough. How about I enlighten you?"

Needless to say, most of the night was spent with Hara grilling him on his life story. It was pretty entertaining considering how uncomfortable Channery was with the whole situation. When he mentioned to the girls about the party that we were required to attend, of course, Conna was excited to go shopping again. I also decided to make another suggestion.

"You know, Channery, instead of taking me to stave off your fanbase, you should take Hara. She's quite good at keeping unwanted would-be suitors away."

Hara arched a brow at me. "Would-be suitors? Do you have a problem with women, Clint?"

He sighed. "More than I would like to admit…"

Hara giggled. "I would love to accompany you. If you'll have me, of course. I have no problem dealing with the vultures."

Channery thought it over for a moment. "Very well. Hara, would you like to be my plus one?"

"I would be honored," she purred.

Conna lit up. "So we're going shopping for two?!"

"It would seem so." I smiled. "I suppose shopping is in order."

Conna did a fantastic job picking out our dresses. For Hara, Conna decided that Hara needed something sexy to fit her personality and give her an edge on Channery's fangirls. It was a light blue color, the material extremely light and flowy. It was cinched tight around her waist, the front of her top covered only her breasts and became a halter with her back completely bare. Hara looked absolutely stunning and was sure to turn some heads.

As for me, Conna and I agreed that since it was Hara's show, I was going to go understated. Conna picked out a simple, strapless dress that, like the dress she chose before, hugged every curve. It was black with a silver, sparkly overlay and was a trumpet shape. Needless to say, it was going to be an interesting night.

Hara and I did each other's hair. She put my hair in a high ponytail and teased the tail to make it quite a bit fluffier than usual. After she was done with me, I braided her hair and flipped it to the side then added a large flower clip right next to her ear. We were definitely a couple of hot mamas.

Channery was punctual as expected. Conna let him in the apartment. As soon as he saw us, he stopped dead in his tracks. He kept his eyes glued to Hara. She, of course, highly approved of his attention. She sauntered up to him.

"So, will _this_ suffice? I figure I will be quite useful to your needs with this get-up."

Channery swallowed hard and shifted nervously. I strode over to him and gave him a pat on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, Boss. She'll take good care of you," I teased.

We made sure Conna was taken care of then took our leave. Hara stayed by Channery's side, making sure to give every single woman there the stink eye as they passed. While they enjoyed their time, I chatted with the few members of the team that showed up then became a wallflower, watching everyone dance the night away.

It was times like this that I missed Falco. Between my anxiety over crowds and my love of dancing… I missed him… Deeply…

Before I could start crying over it, my phone beeped. I hiked up my dress to grab my phone from the garter on my thigh. The page came from Wolf, telling me to meet him outside. I snuck out with ease and went into the garden. There was a gazebo out toward the side with a figure leaning up against one of the pillars with his back to me. Wolf heard the clicking of my heels but didn't make a move to turn to me just yet.

"I didn't think you would come," his deep voice echoed.

"It's not like I had anything to do or anyone to talk to in there," I told him.

He turned to me and I was completely floored. He was cleaned up and dressed in a nice suit. He looked incredible. I couldn't help but smile.

"You clean up well," I said as he stepped over to me.

He smirked. "Enjoy it. This is only happening once." He gave me a once-over. "You don't look too bad yourself. Let me guess… This is the kid's idea."

I laughed. "You should see the damage she did to Hara." I sobered quickly. "So, you dress up and ask me out here. For what reason?"

He offered a hand to me. "A dance."

I arched an eyebrow at him. Surely not…

"Seriously?" I asked. "That's all you want? Why go through the trouble?"

"I have my reasons. And I would rather keep them to myself."

I thought it over then smiled and took his hand.

"I would love to."

He gently pulled me to him and we began to dance slowly. I didn't understand it… Of all people, Wolf comes here, in secret, just to dance with me. I was so confused. Not that I was complaining. In fact, I was happy that someone was around to pay attention to me and I was away from the crowd.

"Did you come alone?" Wolf asked me.

"Not exactly. I originally agreed to be my Captain's plus one but, I convinced him that Hara would be the better choice. He's not very comfortable around women and has quite the following."

"So, your friend is here to scare them off." He chuckled at the thought. "I find that hilarious."

"It's even more hilarious watching it happen."

"I'm surprised that you're not here with Falco or your brother."

I felt my smile fade. Wolf noticed too.

"Did I say something wrong?" he asked.

I quickly shook my head. "Not at all! I just… Well… They've been gone for a while…"

"Gone? On a mission?"

"Yes. I was told it was recon but… Surely a recon mission wouldn't take so long…"

He slowed us to a halt. "You're worried about them."  
"I don't know how to feel. They left suddenly and the only one who bothered to say goodbye was Falco." I became frustrated with the whole situation.

Wolf put a hand on my hand that I didn't realize I had clenched on his shoulder. "You seem upset with him. Why?"

"I feel like he only came to say goodbye in order to try and ask me out. And only because he didn't want to disappoint Conna." I looked up at Wolf. "I'm sorry. I'm putting a damper on our dance."

"It can wait. You look like you need to vent."

He let me go then went to lean up against the pillar with his arms crossed like he did when I found him. I moved to sit on one of the bench seats.

I let out a deep sigh. "You'll have to forgive me. It's been an interesting few months."

"I can only imagine," he chuckled. "You mentioned something about a Captain? I'm assuming that you have a new job?"

"Oh yeah, an offer from General Pepper himself. I'm the only woman on the General's special ops."

"Well, well, Kell. Moving up in the world," he teased.

I smirked. "It's something to do at least. It keeps me busy and out of Hara's hair." I glanced over to Wolf again, realizing that he hadn't taken his eyes off me. I instantly got uncomfortable and cleared my throat. "Enough about me though. What have you been up to lately? Shot anybody down recently? Pillaged any ships?"

"Not recently," he mused as he pushed himself off of the pillar. "Honestly, I haven't done much of anything. My mind has been on other things."

"Such as?"

He was silent for a moment. "The last I saw you, we were at Craig's funeral. I haven't heard of or from you since then. I've been… kind of worried about you."

His confession warmed my heart. It also kind of caught me off guard. He did a lot for me in regards to finding Pete Liger and trying to prevent Craig's murder. Still, I didn't expect this at all.

"I… I appreciate the thought…" I murmured. "It gets a little easier every day. Work keeps my mind away from things. Clearly not enough…"

Wolf strode over to me and offered his hand again. "Maybe we should find you a more adequate distraction."

I looked up at him. My stomach flipped into a frenzy at the heat I saw in his eyes. It was quite obvious what he was offering. I swallowed hard as my heart pounded. Should I really take his offer? I could never turn back once I decided. I was curious, part of me always had been. He's shot me down and yet he had rescued me in more ways than one. He took two shots for me… I could definitely use the distraction. But… What about Falco…? Was I really so torn because I actually had feelings for that bone-headed idiot? Before Falco, I would've taken Wolf's offer without a second thought. Now, here I was, weighing pros and cons. What would Conna and Hara think of me? My brother? Falco…? How would I feel about myself after everything was said and done?

How would they find out? Surely, as long as no one knew about it, everything would be gravy, right?

To Hell with it…

I steeled my nerves and took his hand. He pulled me to my feet and gave me a toothy grin.

"You sure about this?" he asked. "Last chance."

"Just don't make me regret it, Wolf. And this stays between me and you."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." He glanced over at where the ball was being held then back to me. "Want to give your friend some warning?"

"Nothing a quick page won't fix. She'll understand."

He chuckled. "You never cease to amaze me, Kell. Meet me at Sargasso, I'll sneak you in."

I gave him a nod and made my way to the port for my fighter. On the way to Sargasso, I kept fighting the urge to turn around and go back. My gut was telling me that I shouldn't be doing this, that something was going to happen and this rendezvous was going to bite me in the ass. But I wasn't going to give in. I kept telling myself that I needed this distraction; I needed a little bit of fun and to sate my curiosity. I needed this…

Or so I kept telling myself.

I docked my fighter into Sargasso next to one of the wolfens. Wolf was waiting for me, true to his word. He snuck me through the hideout and led me into a large room with only a king sized bed, end tables, and a chair. Another door not far from the bed led into a small bathroom.

Wolf pulled me in then closed and locked the door behind us. He turned to me with a playful smirk.

"Now… where were we?"


	22. Chapter 22

I awoke a few hours later to an empty bed and only my chest to my waist covered by the blanket. I sat up slowly to find Wolf sitting in the chair half naked, leaning over with his elbows propped on his knees and staring out the window.

"Couldn't sleep?" I asked quietly.

He gave me a subtle shake of his head. "I don't sleep much." He glanced over to me. "I didn't want to wake you. We had an eventful night."

I smiled at his innuendo. "I appreciate the thought, Wolf."

I got out of the bed with the blanket still covering me. I approached Wolf and gently pushed him against the back of the chair so I could straddle his lap. He let out a low growl.

"You really want to go another round?"

"I want to wear you out so you'll sleep for a while."

He scoffed. "You mean wear me out so you can sneak out."

"I can't stay forever. Gods know what this little distraction is going to cost me."

"Are you regretting it?"

"Of course not! The fact that I'm even thinking about this right now is…" I paused as I tried to get my words together.

Wolf wasn't going to wait on me to shut him down. He grabbed my buttocks and flawlessly pulled me up with him as he stood. He pinned me up against the wall and pulled the sheet from me, revealing my naked body to him. I smiled at him in amusement.

"I suppose that can all wait for now…"

I had finally worn out Wolf enough to get him to sleep soundly. I took this time to go ahead and take my leave. I dressed in my evening gown from the party and carried my heels in my hand so I could actually sneak out without someone hearing me coming. I made my way to where my fighter was docked to find it surrounded by apes and other criminals. I hid behind a wall and swore under my breath. As I was trying to figure out a plan, Panther strode out and addressed the men.

"Instead of standing around, shouldn't you be trying to find the intruder?"

The men scrambled and left the hangar in a hurry. I heard footsteps coming closer to me then, Panther came around the corner.

"The coast is clear, Miss Skye," he purred.

I smiled up at him. "Thanks for the save."

He gave me a once-over, taking in my disheveled appearance and my lack of trying to cover the deed up.

"If you don't mind me asking…"

"It's not what you think," I quickly defended myself. "I know I look like a wreck and it's kind of suspicious that I'm sneaking out while he's sleeping but, sadly, he knew it was going to happen. It's already super complicated and I'm a mess as it is."

Panther arched a brow at me. "What do you mean by complicated?"

I sighed. "I care about him, Panther. More deeply than I thought imaginable. I'm just… I'm so torn. I don't regret anything but, I'm sick to my stomach thinking that I've made a terrible mistake."

"Because of how you feel about Falco?" he asked.

I was surprised at him. "How did you…?"

He moved to a large panel and disengaged the lock on my ship. He came back to me.

"You should do as your heart desires, Miss Skye. Wolf was only looking to keep your loneliness at bay, as well as his own. He puts up a good front but, he has quite the soft spot for you. I think he always has."

I groaned. "I don't know if that should make me feel better or worse…"

Panther put a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "Wolf knows that you care about him. I will talk to him if that will make you feel better."

I nodded. "Thank you. You have no idea how much that means to me."

"In the meantime, you should get going before those goons decide to come back."

"Of course. Star Wolf has a reputation to uphold. Wouldn't want the others to question your authority."

Panther smiled toothily at me. "I'm glad you understand, Miss Skye."

I gave him a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you again, Panther. I really appreciate you."

I bounded away to board my ship. It took me a few moments to get through the launch sequence but I was off before I knew it. When I arrived back at Corneria, it was already mid-afternoon. I had completely lost track of time, I knew I was going to hear an ear-full from Hara as soon as I got home.

I came through the door of the apartment and tried to sneak to my room. Hara was in the kitchen while Conna was in her room but I heard another voice coming from that direction. Hara came to see who was at the door and froze. She gave me a once-over and began to shake her head.

"Well, well," she mused. "That explains a lot."

I'm sure the guilt I was feeling was written all over my face. A gleam in her eyes told me that something was extremely wrong. It wasn't until Conna walked out hand in hand with Falco that it all came together. I felt like my heart had dropped into my stomach. He froze as soon as he saw my disheveled appearance. Conna didn't seem to notice or care, she was just happy to see me.

"Skye! You're back!" she cried. She ran to me and latched onto my waist. "I'm glad you're okay! We were worried when you didn't come back from the party."

I returned her hug but kept most of my attention on Falco.

"That's quite the walk of shame you've got, Skye."

I wanted to crawl into a hole and just disappear. I should've just followed my gut from the beginning. I knew something like this was going to happen.

"Falco, please… Just hear me out for a second," I pleaded.

"I think I've seen enough." He turned to Hara. "You knew about this?"

Hara threw her hands up. "Don't look at me, I was just as in the dark about this as you were."

"I'll take my leave then."

He walked past me without saying a word. In that moment, something in me snapped. I wasn't about to let him snub me and get away with it.

"You hold it right there, Falco," I demanded.

He stopped in his tracks but didn't turn to face me. I moved Conna to make her stand behind me.

"What I do with my life is none of your damn business," I told him. "I made it very clear before you left that we weren't an item. You don't own me. I had a one night stand, so what? You have no right to judge me."

I heard him scoff then he slowly turned to me. He came and stood nose-to-beak with me and crossed his arms.

"You're right, I can't judge you. But I can judge the man you slept with."

"You're really going to stoop to a childish level about this?"

"Who was it, Skye? Instead of dodging, you can just be honest. Wasn't that our thing a while ago? Wasn't that our compromise?"

He had me there. I immediately backed down.

"I don't ask about your past…"

"You two need to knock it off," Hara cut in. "You both are pretty, we get it. You need to get over yourselves. Not to mention that you're doing this in front of Conna. If you're going to fight and have a pissing contest, take it elsewhere."

At the mention of Conna, I glanced over to see her backing slowly away from us.

"Conna, please…"

She shook her head then quickly retreated to her room and shut the door. I turned sharply toward Falco, my temper renewed.

"Fine! You want to know who it was?" I demanded. "It was Wolf! He came to see me at the party!"

Falco looked like he had no idea how to react to the bomb I just dropped. Hara seemed just as shocked as he was. I watched as Falco's fists clenched and unclenched. He took a deep breath in and out, I think to calm himself for a few moments.

"I think… I think I need to go," he said quietly.

He opened the door and shut it quietly behind him. I was surprised that he was able to shut it so gently after what I just told him. Hara stomped over to me.

"What the hell was that?! Wolf?! Of all people to sleep with! You may have ruined any chance with Falco that you possibly had!"

"I'm an adult, Hara. I'm allowed to do as I please."

"But, Falco-"

"I made it _crystal clear_ that he and I were not together. He doesn't get to decide who I get to be with. And, last I checked, it wasn't any of your damn business either." I was being a lot colder to her than I should have been. In reality, I was breaking inside. I hurt Falco pretty badly and, like Hara said, I may have ruined any chance I had with him.

I knew I should've followed my gut feeling… But, I also didn't regret being with Wolf. In fact, I quite enjoyed our little sexcapade. I needed to take the edge off and he did that for me. I knew the consequences and accepted them the minute I took Wolf's hand. That was the end of it.

I went to check on Conna to make sure she was alright. She lay on her bed facing away from me.

"Conna," I said as I strode in, "I'm sorry that you had to see me and Falco fight."

"Why can't you two just get along?" she demanded. "He loves you, Skye! A lot! And you would rather fight with him than just be with him!"

"It's not that simple, Conna…"

"Why can't it be?!"

I sighed. "It just isn't. I'm sorry that I don't have a better answer."

She went back to ignoring me. I went to my room to change. As soon as I closed the door, I dropped to my knees and cried.

A few days passed and I went to work, business as usual. At least, it was until the third day.

Fox had shown up at the bunker looking like he was ready to punch somebody, that somebody being me. Channery came to me as soon as Fox arrived.

"You have a very pissed off brother wanting to see you," he told me.

I groaned and went to talk to Fox like he wanted.

"Make it quick, I'm working," I told him.

"What the hell happened between you and Falco?" he demanded.

I shrugged, trying to play it off. "I don't know what you mean."

"The hell you don't. I call him to find out where he is and he tells me that he's left Corneria. Then he gives me some ridiculous excuse, saying that he needed more action and that he couldn't sit around anymore waiting for a bullshit mission. I know that this has something to do with you. He went over to your place to surprise you and Conna and then, suddenly he's leaving a few days later? Seems a little too coincidental to me."

"I know it looks bad, Fox, but, I assure you that this has nothing to do with me," I lied. "He really is tired of sitting around waiting on an action mission. You can't blame him for that."

He was silent for a moment as I realized he was seeing right through me.

"What really happened?" he asked calmly.

I moved to sit on one of the weight benches and rubbed my eyes. The stress and guilt were tearing me up. Fox came over to sit next to me.

"You _can_ talk to me, you know. I'm your brother."

I let out a long sigh. "I betrayed him, Fox… I betrayed Falco in the worst way possible…" I got up from the seat and started to pace. "He and I aren't even together but I feel like complete shit. I don't regret what I did but… Damn it…" I paused to look at my brother. "I slept with Wolf."

Fox's eyes widened. "Are… Are you serious?"

"As a heart attack."

Fox tried to wrap his mind around the new information. "Well… that explains why he left… But, Wolf? Skye, really?"

"Like I said, I don't regret it. Not for a single minute. Honestly, it was the most fun that I've had in quite a long time. You don't get to judge me."

Fox raised his hands in surrender. "I wasn't planning on it. Still, now I have a problem."

"I'm sorry, Fox… I know I've put you in a bind…"

He shook his head and rose from the bench. "It is what it is, Skye. There's nothing we can do now except go on with our lives. I'm sorry I came at you like I did."

"Don't be, brother. You were blind-sided. I'm still sorry for what happened."

He came to me and put a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "It'll be fine. Besides, if I really need another pilot, I have you, right?" He took his leave at that.

Channery came from around the corner. "Everything alright?"

No, I thought. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs. I wanted to cry. I drove Falco away. I broke his heart and he left because of me. How could I have been so stupid?

I turned to my Captain. "I'll manage. I can't let this bother me. Falco has made his decision because of the choice I made. I have to live with that. Now, may we please get back to work? I need to take my mind off of all of this."


	23. Chapter 23

~4 years later

I was doing all I could to take down this punching bag. With every punch I tried to either go through it or hit it hard enough to break the chains. All of my punches also made my sparring partner, Darcy, flinch.

"Cripes, Skye, what's the deal?" he complained. "I've seen you agitated before but not like this. This is a whole new level."

I stopped for a second to catch my breath. "Sorry. I'm just not too excited about this afternoon."

"Today's the day, huh?"

"Yeah," I groaned. "Today's the day."

What he meant, was that Star Fox was coming back. Shortly after Fox had come to talk to me about Falco, Star Fox got called on another mission. He said something about Titania and Captain Shears? I don't quite remember everything he said but, I remember him mentioning that he had found Falco and after the whole thing was over Falco had left again. After that, Fox called to tell me that they were going on an extended mission. I didn't hear from him again until a few days ago.

Actually, Conna heard from him. He had called my phone but Conna had answered it.

"Mom! You're not going to believe this!" she cried as she ran through the apartment. "Uncle Fox is coming back! He says he's bringing someone home! And he found Falco! Isn't this great?! All in time for my birthday next week! Best . Birthday. EVER!"

Needless to say, she had been literally counting down the days. She was allowed to skip school today since family was returning home. I'm sure she was going crazy over the wait.

As for Hara, she and Channery finally decided to give the relationship thing a shot. They were adorable together and it kind of made me a little jealous of them. She stayed over at his place quite a bit so we didn't see much of her except for our girl days and such. I was happy if she was happy and that's all that mattered to me.

Channery had also made me his right hand in our special ops force. We were actually supposed to go help Captain Shears before General Pepper decided to send Star Fox on it. I, for one, was disappointed to not get in on the action but thankful that I didn't have to leave home. We had gotten a few new recruits over the years, Darcy being one of them.

Once we had enough members, Channery decided that it was time to have partners. Eric Darcy was assigned to me. He was a husky that strangely reminded me of Wolf, except he was definitely more aloof and light than Wolf. Darcy is always trying to lighten dark moods. He was a good soul that somehow balanced me out. I think Channery knew that and probably also figured that Darcy could help me get over Falco. Darcy wasn't overly obvious about how he felt about me but there was once or twice he let it slip. I made it clear that I wasn't looking for a relationship and he never pushed the subject.

Which brings me back to my current drama…

I stepped away from the punching bag to down some water and towel off the sweat. Darcy strolled over to join me.

"Surely, it can't be that bad," he said. "Your brother is coming home after, what, three years?"

"Four," I corrected him. "Conna says Fox is bringing Falco back too. That's going to be an awkward reunion as it is."

"What happened between you and Falco anyway?"

"Good grief, where to start?"

Darcy grinned. "Just tell me why he left."

"I slept with the enemy, literally. Well, enemy to Star Fox. Falco caught me in the walk of shame and the rest, as they say, is history."

"Ouch. Yeah, that will do it. Had it bad for you, did he?"

I gave him a dirty look. Darcy arched a brow at my reaction.

"And you for him? Damn, Skye. I wasn't trying to be nosy."

"I know. It's okay. I've had four years to get over it and, sadly, I can say I'm mostly over it but part of me isn't."

"Well, I suppose you can always give him a swift kick in the nuts for leaving," Darcy joked.

I chuckled. "I could but, then Conna would be mad at me again and I don't want that."

I packed my duffel and threw it over my shoulder.

"See you at Conna's birthday next week?" I asked.

"I wouldn't miss it."

I waved at him then made my way home to pick up the girls. I threw my duffel into my room and turned to find Conna standing in my doorway with her hands on her hips and a stern look on her face. I couldn't get over how tall she had gotten over the years. The little raccoon girl I saved from that torn up house so many years ago had grown into such a beauty. Her jade eyes literally glowed and I could imagine her making men swoon just at the sight of them. My fantasy faded as soon as she started talking.

"Are you really going to welcome them home dressed like that?" she questioned.

I looked down at my black uniform. "What's wrong with it? I'm not going there to impress anybody."

"Falco is coming home too."

"He's not going to want to talk to me, Conna."

"You don't know that. Surely he hasn't held on to all of that like you have. The past is the past, Mom. He's probably forgiven you by now."

I rolled my eyes. "I highly doubt it."

Hara came up behind Conna. "You ladies ready? We have boys to welcome home."

The three of us made our way to the port to find that the Great Fox was already docked. Fox, Peppy, Slippy and a violet vixen stepped out. My jaw dropped when I saw her. She was gorgeous.

I looked down at my uniform as I suddenly felt a little insecure.

"Regretting not changing now?" Conna teased quietly.

I elbowed her in the rib.

Fox came to me first and brought me in for a tight hug.

"It's good to see you, Skye." He gave Hara a nod then stared at Conna. "Conna? Holy cow, you're…"

Conna went to hug him before he could finish. "Welcome home, Uncle Fox."

As soon as she let go of him, Peppy stepped forward and took Conna's hand. "You look beautiful, my dear."

Conna beamed at his compliment. "Thank you, Uncle Peppy."

Slippy got in on the action and hugged me. "We've missed you, Skye."

"I've missed you guys too." I laughed.

Fox pulled the vixen forward.

"Speaking of beauties," I murmured.

"Skye, I want you to meet Krystal. Krystal, this is Skye Kell, my sister."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Skye," Krystal said to me.

Gods, even her voice was silk. I felt so insignificant compared.

"Falco!" Conna suddenly cried.

She shot off in a different direction. When I glanced over, she was jumping into Falco's arms. I had so many mixed emotions in that moment. I was glad to see him looking healthy and then I felt sick to my stomach. I realized that I wasn't ready to face him like I thought I was.

Peppy and Slippy took their leave of us. Slippy told us he was off to see his father, Beltino, while Peppy was off to see General Pepper. Fox stepped to my side.

"You wouldn't believe the stories I could tell you. Between what happened with Captain Shears and Andross being revived on Sauria…"

"I can only imagine. To be gone that long, you better have some good stories to tell." I watched as Falco and Conna jabbered away. "I see he doesn't look worse for wear…"

"He's been on his own for a while," Fox said. "I don't know where he's been this whole time. How old is Conna now?"

"She'll be seventeen next week. You're back just in time for her party. You're all invited. It's what she would want."

"We'll definitely be there."

Just then, the smile on Falco's face melted away and he turned away from Conna. He looked like he was apologizing to her then he walked away. She came back to us looking defeated.

"He's forgiven me, huh?" I teased.

"Ha ha," she said drolly. "He said he couldn't promise that he was coming to my birthday. He definitely hasn't forgiven you."

"I told you. You'll find, dear Conna, that time doesn't heal all wounds." I turned to Fox. "Conna's birthday, next week. Be there or be square."

Conna decided that a full-on party wasn't her style. She opted on having a small get-together with our closest friends and family. She invited her three best friends. Hara invited Channery to be with her and I had invited Darcy. Fox came with Krystal a little later and Slippy and Peppy made an appearance as well. No Falco in sight.

Hara made it her mission to get to know Krystal. While they were distracted, I went to Fox.

"I'll be honest with you," I said in a teasing tone. "When Conna mentioned you were bringing someone home, I didn't expect that person to be a woman. A gorgeous one at that."

Fox laughed. "Yeah, I'm kind of surprised myself."

"So, are you two…?"

He instantly got embarrassed. "It's not like that! I mean, eventually, maybe, but…" he cleared his throat. "This is not a conversation to be having at your daughter's birthday party."

"No time like the present," I teased.

He chuckled. "You've changed, Skye. I can't say I'm disappointed."

I smirked. "I've had four years to grow." I glanced over to Conna as she laughed with her friends. "And so has she."

"You're so proud of her. You think she'll become a pilot after she graduates?"

"Hell no. I won't let her."

Fox seemed surprised at my answer. "Oh?"

"She deserves better than that life. Besides, she's been talking about being a nurse and doing some culinary. She wants to help people."

"Wow… Who knew?"

Suddenly, Conna took off toward a figure approaching us. Falco had finally arrived and had brought a large bouquet of flowers with him. As soon as she got to him, he handed her the flowers then accompanied her to our little gathering.

Darcy immediately came to my side. "Are you feeling okay?"

I gave him a droll look. "Trust me, sweetie, I'm perfectly fine. Him being here will make Conna happy, that's all that matters. I'm not going to let what happened four years ago spoil Conna's day. What kind of mom would I be?"

True to my promise, everything went smoothly. Falco and I didn't even speak, much less acknowledge each other's existence. At least, not until the end.

Fox, Krystal, Channery, Hara, Slippy and Peppy took their leave of us. I gathered Conna's friends as we walked to our vehicles. Conna stayed glued to Falco's side and strode behind us.

Darcy leaned down to my ear.

"What do you think they're talking about?" he asked.

I grinned at the possibilities. "Oh, you know, she's probably telling him her master plan for trying to get me and him together. Or, she could be complaining about me and you."

"She hates me that much, does she?"

"She only thinks you're taking Falco's place." I gave him a sideways glance. "I'm going to let her believe that."

Darcy arched a brow. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"I would be lying if I said I wasn't. She is in such a tizzy, it's quite hilarious."

I ushered the girls into my vehicle. Conna hugged Falco goodbye then hopped in after them. That was the only time I acknowledged him. I gave him a nod. He returned it then turned to leave. Darcy smirked.

"Well then, I guess that's settled. For now."

"Thank you, Eric. I appreciate you sticking around. You didn't have to."

"Anytime, Skye. We're partners, remember? Besides, I couldn't miss Conna busting a vein over something that isn't happening between us." He winked at me then left my side.

I felt a little guilt over the exchange but I was glad he didn't push it or say the things he said with malicious intent. Still… It was tough not to wonder…


	24. Chapter 24

"Mom?" Conna asked as I packed a small bag. "Where are you going?"

"I haven't gone to dance in almost a year," I explained. I paused and rethought my answer. "You know, I think it's been a few years."

"You mean, since Falco left?"

I turned on her quickly. "You're trying awfully hard, Conna. You shouldn't push things that aren't meant to happen."

"It's no coincidence, mama. Whether you want to admit it or not."

I scoffed. "Believe what you want. I'll be back in a few hours. Think you can manage to not burn the apartment down?"

Conna rolled her eyes. "I think I take better care of this place than you do."

I went and kissed her forehead. "That's my girl."

I left for the dance studio and was allowed my room like I used to have. I brought in my small radio, put on some slow music and did my stretches. Once I was loose, I began to dance. An hour in, I was getting extremely frustrated. I was missing steps, falling after missteps… It was embarrassing. I paused the music then leaned on the barre to try and get my bearings.

"You're rusty, Skye. How uncharacteristic of you."

I knew the voice all too well, so I didn't bother to look up.

"Let me guess, Conna called you."

I finally glanced over to find Falco leaning up against the doorframe with his arms crossed. He sighed.

"She's determined, I'll give her that." He pushed himself off of the doorframe and strode over to me. "She seems to think that we can still be something."

"And what do you think?"

He thought for a moment. "I think four years is a long time to think about things."

"For me or you? Because, quite honestly, I've done all I can to forget you. I have tried everything to get over anything and everything that happened between us. Channery even pushed a partner on me and Conna's constant badgering is enough to make anyone go crazy…"

He smirked but it quickly faded. He moved to half-sit on the barre.

"Conna told me about your partner. Eric Darcy? Is that right?"

I nodded.

"She doesn't like him very much, does she?"

"No…" I murmured. "In the end, it doesn't really matter what she thinks. Does it?"

He shrugged. "So, you and Eric…?"

"Hardly. He's just a friend, nothing more. In fact, since Hara hasn't been around to be comic relief, Darcy seems to fit in quite well in that department."

"Finding replacements already?"

"Hara and Channery are practically living together. I'm waiting for the marriage announcement any day now."

"You sound disappointed."

"They're happy and will possibly have many godchildren for me. Why would I be disappointed about that?"

"What about _your_ happiness?"

I froze at his question. He was so sincere. His eyes bore down on me and had a hint of sympathy in them. I squirmed inwardly. I cleared my throat and shook off the discomfort.

"My hope of any happiness left four years ago."

He looked away from me. "So did mine…"

My heart pounded at his confession. I couldn't be falling for him again… Not again. My heart had been broken too many times by him. A few times of my own doing but, still… How stupid would I be to fall back into what we both tried so hard to get away from? How stupid could he be?

I was about to find out…

Falco pushed himself off the barre and pressed play on my radio. A few notes echoed through the room for a slow song then Falco turned to face me.

"Well… How about a dance?" He offered his hand to me. "For old time's sake?"

I hesitated. The little voice was screaming at me to not do it. But my heart…

I finally took his hand and he led me to the center of the room. We took our stance. He saw how far apart we were and sighed.

"I thought we were past this, Skye." He put his hand on the small of my back and brought me against him. "There."

I swallowed hard and let him lead me. We just swayed to the music, no crazy dance moves, no making me trip over my own feet… Despite me wanted to fight it, being in his arms made me feel safe again. I was at peace with him here. I wasn't about to admit it though. Not by a long shot.

"So…" I said trying to break the ice, "I, uh, heard about Captain Shears… Well, kind of. Fox didn't mention any details or anything. All he told me was he found you one minute and you were gone again after it was all over."

He smirked. "You want to know what happened."

"Kind of. I am a little curious."

He resituated our hands to get past his discomfort. "Shortly after I left, I got a call from Katt, asking me to come back to the Hot-Rodders. When I found her and Cool, she told me that Captain Shears had been working on something big and we needed to investigate. Turns out, he had some surviving Venomian soldiers and, not only was he a traitor to the Cornerian army, but he was also working to clone and revive Andross."

I almost couldn't believe what I was hearing. "What the hell?"

"Tell me about it…"

"And Fox was sent to…?"

"Star Fox was sent in because the good captain called them for protection. Fox didn't know that Shears was a traitor."

I closed my eyes and squirmed at the thought of Fox and Falco in a dogfight. "Shit…" I put my forehead against his shoulder. "Please tell me-"

"You honestly think Fox or I would be here if we had shot each other down?"

"That's beside the point. He's my brother and you're one of his friends."

"You almost sounded worried about us."

I looked up at him find a joking gleam in his eye.

I shook my head at him. "You're not funny…"

He shrugged. "Do I at least get props for trying?"

He slowly spun me then brought me back to him.

"No. None at all."

We danced a little longer then Falco brought us to a gentle halt when the next song started. He looked like he _really_ wanted to tell me something.

"Skye… I, uh, I need to… Um…" He fidgeted a bit then finally got his bearings. "Skye, I've really-"

He was cut off by a knock at the door. He closed his eyes and let out an irritated sigh. I glanced over to the door to find Darcy standing there.

"I hate to bother you two in your, uh, moment," he said. "But, we've been called in."

I pulled away from Falco and went to my phone to find no messages.

"What do you mean by…" I trailed off when he gave me a look. I tried to play it off. " _Oh_ … Yes, of course. I'll… I'll meet you outside."

He gave me a nod then stepped out of the studio. I packed up my things and slung my bag over my shoulder. I glanced over to Falco.

"I know you only came because Conna called you but, thank you. For the dance, I mean."

"Don't mention it."

I went to the door and stopped. I couldn't just leave him like that without something to give him. I let out a sigh,

"Falco, for what it's worth… I missed you. A lot. I'm glad you're home. If not for me, then at least for Conna. She thinks very highly of you."

I took my leave of him and met Darcy outside.

"What's this about?" I demanded. "I know damn well that we weren't called in."

"Hara called me. She said that Conna had set you up and that you might need a getaway." He looked over toward the studio. "It seems to me that you were just fine."

I stiffened. "How long were you there?"

"Long enough."

"Damn it, Eric… I'm sorry."

He held his hand up to stop me. "Look, your life is your business. I've told you how I felt and you shot me down. I will never use that against you. We're partners and friends, and that's fine with me. You don't have to explain anything or justify your actions to me. Unless your life is in danger, I will not interfere. Alright?"

My heart swelled at his words. It made me feel awful that I couldn't return his feelings.

"Thank you, Eric. Seriously. You have no idea how much that means to me."

"Sure thing. Just, do me one favor."

"Anything."

"If you really love him, don't make him wait. If he's as good for you as Conna says he is, don't drag him around and make him think he has a chance when you have no intention of giving it to him. Please, Skye. That is legitimately the worst thing you can do to him."

His sincerity made me hurt for him. He was looking out for me despite how he felt about me. I didn't know if I should have felt great because I had a friend who was looking out for me or like complete poop because he was trying to be selfless.

"I'll try not to hurt him."

"Good. Now, let's get you home. Hara is already there doing damage control."

We arrived at the apartment to find Conna sitting in the center of the couch and Hara perched on the coffee table in front of Conna with her arms crossed. Hara shot up as soon as she saw us.

"Thank goodness! I thought you would be seething by the time you got back." She paused to look at me. "You okay?"

I ignored her question and went straight to Conna. She already looked like she had a good talking to from Hara. I let out a heavy sigh.

"Don't you ever catch me by surprise like that ever again," I ordered. "I know your intentions are good but, you have to let it go. It's hard enough, okay? He's not ready and neither am I. How would you like it if I pushed you to do something that you weren't ready to do?"

Conna kept eyes fixated on the floor. "I'm sorry, mama. It won't happen again, I promise."

"You need to call Falco and apologize to him too."

I handed her the phone and she left for her room. Hara gave me an impressed look.

"You handled that better than I thought you would," she admitted.

"I can't be angry at her. Besides, he showed up because he wanted to. Conna may have told him where I was but he made the choice to come and see me." I looked toward my partner. "Thank you again, Eric. I'm sorry that you had to deal with all of this."

He shrugged. "Trust me, there are worse things I could be doing with my time. Catch you later?"

I nodded. He acknowledged Hara then left us be. Hara arched a brow at me.

"You sure you're alright?"

I nodded and rubbed at my eyes. "I'll manage. Besides, I've got more important things to worry about."


	25. Chapter 25

Months had passed with not much else going on. Krystal had officially become a member of Star Fox, per Fox's request of course. She and I had actually gotten quite close. We found it quite entertaining to pick on Fox behind his back and to his face. She was pretty obvious with her feelings toward him and, honestly, they were perfect for each other.

Conna had received a letter stating that she had gotten approved for early acceptance at the Academy for Medical Corp. I couldn't have been prouder of her. She had worked extremely hard for this chance.

Shortly after she had given the good news to Falco, they had gotten a call from General Pepper for another mission. Andrew Oikonny, Andross's nephew, was leading a fleet of Andross followers. Star Fox was called in to clean up the mess. It wasn't long after they had left that I had gotten a page from both Channery and Darcy. No doubt an order from the General himself. Channery had also called Hara as soon as I had received the page. The look on her face concerned me.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

She hung up with Channery and stared at me, fear in her eyes.

"Clint said to grab Conna and get to one of the bunkers," she said. "He said that General Pepper is about to issue a capitol-wide evacuation. He wanted to make sure that Conna and I got there safely."

Conna came into the room. "Hara? What's going on? Why do you sound so panicked?" She turned to me. "Mom?"

I shook my head. "I'll explain on the way. Get your shoes on and get ready to go."

She got ready without question. Hara turned to me.

"Skye…"

"Everything will be fine," I assured her. "I'm sure it's just a precaution."

Conna was ready to go within minutes. I took the girls to the nearest bunker and waited until they were checked in. As soon as they were behind the doors, I headed straight to base. Darcy met me as I walked through the door.

"What is going on?" I asked. "Channery called Hara and threw her into a panic."

Right then, Channery called us to order.

"I guess we're about to find out," my partner sighed.

Channery briefed us on an invasion. Creatures called Aparoids were descending upon Corneria City as we spoke. Most of the team would go to help evacuate the civilians to the bunkers while a small team would be off to help the General. As soon as everyone had gone to their posts, Channery approached me and Darcy.

"No doubt the General has called Star Fox for back-up. They're going to need you out there. We've lost all use of radar."

"Jammers?" Darcy asked. "How is that possible?"

"It doesn't matter how. What matters is that they are destroyed."

"Understood," I said. "We'll be your eyes."

Channery gave us a nod. "Eric, you'll guard her back while she takes them down. Go to the highest rooftop with most of the city in view. Don't stay in one spot for too long. Is that clear?"

I swallowed hard and exchanged glances with my partner. We both nodded to our Captain then went to take our leave but Channery stopped us.

"And Skye," he called. I turned to him. "Don't miss."

I smirked. "You got it, Boss."

Darcy and I got our weapons then stepped out into absolute chaos. Most of the buildings were already torn apart and smoking, electrical lines brought down… The city was a complete disaster… I shook my head.

"This is…? No…"

The aparoids were everywhere. My heart immediately dropped to my stomach. Hara and Conna were the first people to pop into my mind. All I wanted at that point was to run to them to make sure that they were okay. A reassuring hand on my shoulder brought me back.

"We have a job to do, Skye. Let's make it count."

I nodded then we took off to get a good look at where would be our best vantage point. We took to a semi-tall building close to the center of the city. It didn't have sights on all of the jammers but at least on most of them. I set my rifle up on the roof on the ledge, Darcy kept a watch, making sure none of the aparoids came to stop us.

"We bide time until Star Fox gets here," I told him. "We take as many as we can in the meantime. No taking risks."

"Understood."

"Eric…" I murmured.

He matched my gaze.

"Thank you for being here with me, Eric. I'm glad it's you at my back."

He gave me a nod then stepped away so I could focus.

I aimed for the first jammer and took my shot, taking it down with ease. I took three more down before we finally got the aparoids' attention. Eric kept some off of us.

"I think it's time to move," he said as he helped me pack my rifle.

"Agreed."

Just as we were headed down, I caught a glimpse of a figure weaving through the streets. I tapped into my com and tried to match the frequency that the Great Fox used.

"Gods, please tell me that small ant is you, Fox…"

The figure immediately stopped and looked up and around. "Skye? Where the hell…?"

"Don't worry about that now. Keep moving, don't let them see you. Darcy and I will have your back. I've already dismantled a few of the jammers, you get the rest."

"Roger that."

The little figure dashed away. I glanced over to Darcy.

"Well, now we have Fox to worry about…" I sighed. "We have to get to him while he does work. Star Fox is blind without the use of radar. We have to get those arwings in the air if we're going to win this."

"Looks like I have two people to cover then," Darcy smirked. "On to the next point."

He and I took off toward the next building and I took down some more jammers while Fox was taking care of the jammers on his side. Darcy was vigilant and made sure that neither of us were taken by surprise. For the most part…

"Great job you two!" Peppy's voice echoed over the com. "Radar is back online. Thanks for the help, Skye."

"Anytime, old man. Darcy and I have to get back to Channery and the others."

"Understood. Fox, I've sent you an arwing."

"Headed there now," Fox replied. "Be careful getting back, Skye. We lost transmission with the General during briefing. I hope nothing has happened to him."

Darcy and I exchanged worried glances. I swallowed hard. "If something has happened to the General then… The team…"

"Get to your arwing, Fox," Darcy told him. "We'll check on the General."

We took off back to base only to be headed off and surrounded by aparoids. I looked to where Fox's arwing was and watched as it was blown to bits and Fox was surrounded too.

"No!" I cried out.

"There's too many!" Darcy shouted as he kept shooting at the creatures.

Just then, extra voices came on the com.

"You're a pitiful sight, pup," said a familiar voice.

A wolfen went zipping through the air toward Fox, taking down the aparoids that surrounded my brother then caught Fox on his wing. I didn't have to time to be relieved for Fox's save since Darcy and I were about to be torn to pieces. Just before it got too sticky, lasers shot down the aparoids all around us. An arwing touched down beside us. The cockpit glass slid back to reveal Falco.

"Need a lift?"

I let out a sigh of relief. "Your timing is impeccable!" I wasted no time hopping onto his wing. I turned back to my partner, who, hadn't moved from his spot. "Darcy, hop on!"

He shook his head then got on the wing with me. "You people are nuts."

Falco got us in the air. Fox was taking down aparoids from Wolf's wing while Darcy and I double-teamed from Falco's.

"Good to see that you're still around, Kell," Wolf said over the com.

I chuckled. "Like these things could stop me. You should know better than that, Wolf."

There were a few disgusted noises and a few chuckles through the com. I ignored it and got to work.

Within minutes, the aparoids began to retreat. For a moment, I thought that we had beaten them back. That is, until ROB came through the com.

"Unknown vessel approaching at high speed."

Darcy and I glanced around to try and get eyes on whatever was heading toward us.

"Another enemy?" Fox asked.

"Hold it…" Peppy echoed. "That silhouette… Is that the General's flagship?!"

I finally got a good look at the ship and, just as Peppy had said, it was definitely the General's ship. My stomach lurched as fear and worry washed over me. Darcy had the same look of horror on his face.

The ship went speeding toward Fox and Wolf's wolfen.

"Is that you, Fox?" the General rasped over the com. "Too late… The aparoids…"

I shook my head in denial. "NO!" I rammed my fist into the glass of Falco's cockpit. "Falco, take us down! Channery and the others! If the General is here, something has happened to them."

Falco didn't argue. He took us to the base without question while Fox tried to subdue the aparoid-controlled General. Darcy and I wasted no time hopping off the wing and heading inside.

"Skye, wait!" Falco called from behind us.

I turned sharply to find him pulling out a blaster from a side panel. He ran to my side and took my rifle from me, taking the strap and slinging it onto his back.

"What do you think you're doing?" I demanded. "You're wasting time! My team-"

"Fox needs you in the air," he interrupted me. "Darcy and I can check on everyone. Leave this to us."

"You can't be serious!" I argued. "Now is not the time to-"

I was stopped by a gentle hand on my shoulder. I groaned.

"Not you too, Darcy…"

"He's got a point and you know it, Skye. Falco and I have got this. You help Fox with the General. We'll keep you posted on Channery."

I shifted gazes between them then let out a sigh.

"Fine. You two be careful."

They both gave me a nod then dashed inside. I hopped into the cockpit of Falco's arwing and took to the sky.


	26. Chapter 26

It was the best feeling in the world to get back in the pilot's seat of an arwing. The feeling was short-lived, unfortunately, considering the current situation.

Fox stood on the wing of Wolf's ship, shooting at the aparoid-controlled General. My stomach did flips at the sight. We had to shoot down our General in order to save our planet… I was sick over it.

"Need a hand, big brother?" I asked as I did a fly-by and landed a few hits on the General.

"Skye? Where's Falco?"

"He's doing me a solid. Tell me where you want me."

Silence for a moment.

"We have to take him down from both sides," he finally said. "It's the only way."

I steeled myself as I said my next words. "I'm sorry, General…"

I heard a grunt from the other side of my com.

"Do it, Skye…" General Pepper groaned. "Do what you must…"

I swallowed hard. "Wolf, don't you lose my brother, you hear me?"

"I'll do what I can, Kell. Give 'em hell."

By then, I had mustered the strength to take on the General. Fox and I shot on either side, just as planned. If the flagship came for me, Fox made sure to take back its attention. And I made sure that Wolf didn't take a hit and cause my brother to fall.

After landing a stream of hits from me and Fox, the flagship finally showed signs that it was about to go down. The ship stopped in mid-air, let out an enormous explosion then began to plummet toward the ground. Another arwing zoomed past us to try and catch the falling General.

"General Pepper!" Peppy cried over the com.

"Peppy! Wait!" Fox tried to stop him.

Peppy tried to slow the General's descent with his own ship, causing himself to crash with the General.

"Fox, contact the medical corp…" Peppy croaked in pain. "One way or another, my duty's done…"

I wasn't going to wait on the med corp. I landed sloppily next to the General and hopped out of the arwing to make a mad dash to get him out of the ship. General Pepper glanced over at Peppy as the hare struggled to get out of his arwing.

"Don't worry about me," the General ordered.

I obeyed and climbed toward Peppy's cockpit to help him out. I half carried him to the ground and sat him up against his crashed arwing. I shook my head at him.

"You're an idiot, old man," I told him.

Within moments, Slippy and Krystal touched down and went straight to the General's side. It was then that I finally heard from Darcy.

"Skye? Do you read?"

"Darcy? The team?"

"We found them but… They're in bad shape… I'm surprised that Channery is still conscious…"

I let out a sigh of relief. "They're alive… Thank goodness…"

"How is it on your end?" he asked.

"General Pepper and Peppy are down. The medical corp is on their way."

"Falco and I will meet you at the hospital then. The General will be the corp's top priority."

"Understood. See you there."

I looked to the sky as three wolfens flew toward the atmosphere. I immediately commed Wolf.

"Leaving so soon? And without a goodbye?" I asked him.

Wolf chuckled. "Your brother was getting sappy on me."

"Gods forbid he sees that you have a soft side," I teased. I immediately sobered. "I have a feeling this isn't over. If I need you…"

"You know how to call me. The boys and I won't be far off just in case."

I took comfort knowing that Wolf still had my back, despite us not being together.

"Thank you, Wolf. I mean it."

"Don't mention it. Call if you need me." He disconnected from me at that.

The medical corp had shown up to take General Pepper and Peppy to the hospital. The hospital was hustling and bustling from all of the panic of the invasion. There were so many people there getting treated and it was almost suffocating inside with everyone in a frenzy. I found myself a bench in a corner so I wouldn't have a panic attack from the crowd. I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate on keeping myself grounded.

It was a while later that I was startled by a touch on my shoulder. Falco stood above me with a worried look on his face.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Without even thinking, I got up from my seat and wrapped my arms around his waist to hug him. I put my ear to his chest and focused on his steady heartbeat. He gently wrapped his arms around me and held me tight.

"I'm glad you're okay," he said. "When Darcy said that the General and Peppy were down… I didn't think you and Fox had it in you."

The tears welled up in my eyes and escaped me before I could try to stop them. Falco noticed.

"Skye, I didn't mean… Damn it. I'm sorry, that was insensitive of me to say."

"We failed, Falco…" I murmured. "We failed General Pepper. We were supposed to protect him. We were supposed to protect him and we… I failed…" Just like I failed Craig…

The tears were uncontrollable now. I dug my face into his chest and grabbed handfuls of his suit as my sobs drowned into the din of the room. Falco just held me there, in the middle of everywhere, for everyone to see. He didn't seem embarrassed at all by it.

I finally cried myself out and began to calm down. I felt Falco shift then he reached down to tenderly wipe tears from my cheeks. A few seconds later a raccoon girl came barreling through the crowd to get to us.

"Mom!" Conna cried.

I had just enough time to peel myself from Falco before she crashed into me. I held onto her like she was a lifeline.

"Mom! I'm so glad you're alright! I was so worried and scared!"

"I'm as alright as I can be," I told her. I looked to Falco as I hugged my daughter and mouthed a silent "thank you" to him. He gave me a nod then stepped away to be with the rest of Star Fox.

Conna pulled away from me. "Mom, Hara went to find Clint. I passed Eric on the way here."

"Lead the way then."

She took my hand and led me to where the special ops team was being treated. They were all in beds except for Channery. He was shirtless with a bandage around his ribs and right arm in a sling. Hara sat with him, making sure he didn't move and taking care of his every whim. Before Conna and I could make it to them, Channery pulled out something shiny from his pocket. He tried to get on one knee but Hara kept him up. I couldn't help but grin at the sight.

"Is that…?" When Conna realized what it was, she beamed. "Oh my gosh! MOM! HARA IS-"

I slapped a hand over her mouth. I waited until he put the ring on Hara's finger before I let go of Conna. Conna dashed up to Hara and Channery to congratulate them.

"I'll be damned," Darcy mused as he took the place beside me. "Our Captain just popped the question. Who knew he had the balls?"

"An alien invasion and almost dying puts things into perspective," I said. "Makes you realize what's important. Life's too short."

"You'll get no argument from me there." He gave me a reassuring look. "How about you? Are you okay?"

I nodded. "I'll make it. Just tired. I could go for a few drinks just to wipe this day from my memory."

"The drinks may have to wait…" Darcy murmured.

I followed his gaze to find Peppy coming our way.

"Skye, a word?"

I exchanged glances with Darcy then followed Peppy down the hall, out of earshot of everyone else.

"I need a favor," he said. "I know that I'm in no position to ask but…"

I crossed my arms. "Just ask me already. You're killing me."

There was a silence between us as he was trying to get his words together. He finally took a deep breath. "We're taking the fight to the aparoid homeworld. I have a bad feeling and I would feel much better if we had some back up."

The sincere worry on his features gave me pause. How could I possibly say no? If he needed my help to keep Star Fox safe… To keep my brother and Falco safe… There was no way I was going to deny him.

"What do you need me to do?"

His eyes widened. My answer shocked him. "Just like that?"

"Of course. If you, of all people, are worried about something happening then, I need to listen up. So, where do you need me?"

Peppy smiled then gave me low-down on the plan. As soon as he dismissed me, I went straight to Channery to explain what I would be doing. It seems that Fox had already beaten me to it.

"I thought the plan was supposed to be secret."

"It is to the others," Fox told me. "But, your Captain needed to give you the okay."

Channery grunted in pain as he moved to stand. "You and Darcy are cleared to go."

"But we failed our last mission, Captain…" I admitted.

"You did what you could. Now, you have to finish what you started. That means making sure that Star Fox gets back safely."

I gave him a nod. I wasn't feeling the confidence that he had for us. Conna came to my side.

"You're going to do fine, mom. Just… be careful."

I gave her a small smile. "I love you, sweetie. We'll be fine, I promise." I glanced over to a beaming Hara. "We're celebrating as soon as we get back. No punking out on me."

Hara winked. "Don't die before we put ourselves into a drunken stupor."

"I wouldn't miss it." I turned to Darcy. "Ready?"

"When you are. Let's end this. It's about time we get to show these aparoids who's boss."

I couldn't agree with him more.


	27. Chapter 27

Darcy and I made our way to an underground hangar that held large carrier-class ships. Very similar to the carrier I used to fly for Craig and Melissa, except _much_ newer. I was giddy just staring at them. Darcy shook his head at me. "You look like a kid in a candy shop. Stars in your eyes and all that."

"These carriers are the newest model," I gawked. "And we get to pilot one! My excitement can't be contained!"

We boarded one, did all of the pre-flight checks then took to the sky. We were to follow Star Fox into space and through the warp gate to the aparoid homeworld, all the while not getting detected by any other member of Star Fox. Not getting detected should be simple with the updated cloaking on the new carrier. The problem now, was the warzone that we were about to fly into.

The aparoids had already begun an all-out assault on the warp gate base. We couldn't get any closer without getting in the way. I connected our com to Star Fox's to keep tabs on everything going on. At the mention of missiles aiming at the base, I was immediately sent into a panic. Darcy noticed.

"Skye, what's wrong?"

"They're going to need help."

I commed Wolf and Star Wolf on another channel. Wolf immediately answered back.

"So soon after our last run-in, Kell?" he teased. "If I didn't know any better, I would think that you liked me."

I grinned. "Cute but, I need your help. Not for me specifically, though."

"You want us to go help the pup again?" Leon questioned. "Honestly, could they be any more useless?"

"Leave it to us, Miss Skye," Panther chimed in. "It will give me a chance to see Krystal again."

"Thanks, boys. I owe you big time."

The three ships flew past us and we waited until everything had calmed down. We watched as the warp gate formed and followed behind the fleet and the Great Fox. We came across a lovely blue planet, hanging out all by itself in the middle of nowhere. We circled around the planet to find that the other side looked… Not right.

"Good Gods…" Darcy murmured. "That's not normal…"

"Stay alert," I told him. "If this mission goes south, we have to be ready."

All we could do was watch as the Cornerian fleet was decimated by the aparoids. Even the Great Fox was getting pummeled by them. A while later, we saw the shield to the core go down. I breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that it was too soon. As quickly as the shield had gone down, it went right back up again, keeping the team from the core. Just then, the Great Fox, covered in hatchers and aparoids, plummeted toward the shield, lodging itself into the opening and shattering the new shield.

"Skye!" Darcy cried out.

"Yeah, I see it."

"What are you waiting for?! Get in there!"

He didn't have to tell me twice. As soon as Star Fox was in, I docked the ship sloppily into the Great Fox. The enormous ship was in flames all around us. Darcy and I made our way to the bridge. It was then that I got another com from Wolf.

"Skye! What the hell are you doing?!"

"Keeping a promise," I managed to say calmly.

"You idiot! You're going to get yourselves killed! That ship is going to blow at any minute!"

A small explosion sent me and Darcy to the floor. Darcy helped me to my feet but at the sound of my grunt, Wolf went into a panic.

"You have to get out of there!"

"I'm not leaving without Peppy! If you want to be useful, go after Fox and the others! They could use your help with the Queen."

There was silence over the com for a moment then Panther spoke up.

"Don't worry, Miss Skye. We will take care of it. We'll be in touch when we return."

I let out a sigh of relief then followed Darcy to the bridge.

As soon as we arrived, I immediately went to Peppy who was slumped over the console. I slung his arm around my shoulders as Darcy got his other side.

"ROB, time to abandon ship," I ordered the robot.

ROB went ahead of us as Darcy and I tried to carry Peppy out of the burning ship. We managed to get back to the carrier and out of the Great Fox before it exploded into oblivion. Once we were safe, ROB took over controls and I went to check on Peppy. Darcy was bandaging the hare up as best as he could. I chuckled at the terrible job he was doing.

"I can take it from here, Darcy," I told him. "Go keep an eye out for Fox and the others."

Darcy took his leave and left me to take care of Peppy properly.

"You, uh, took your time, didn't you, Skye?" Peppy asked.

"Were you worried, Old Man?"

"A little."

I started wrapping his head. "I wasn't going to leave you behind, Peppy. I said I would be here, I am. Fox still needs your guidance so, it's in my best interest to keep you alive. And Conna loves hearing your stories."

He grinned. "It's always about everyone else for you. You should think about yourself for a change."

I sighed. "I'm making sure my daughter and my brother aren't sad about your passing. That's thinking about me."

I finished bandaging him up and we made our way back to the bridge. Peppy took his place in the chair at the main control panel.

The waiting game was nerve-wracking. Not only was Star Fox in there, but Star Wolf had gone in after them on my request. If anything had happened to any of them… I wouldn't know what to do.

Awhile later, the planet began to show signs of internal implosion. In moments the planet was destroyed and floated around in little bits. ROB moved the ship forward to begin looking for Fox and the others. There was a beep on the com then Darcy turned in his seat to me.

"I think _you_ need to take this one, Skye," he winked.

I took the hint and went toward the back to take the com. I let out a sigh of relief to see Wolf, Panther and Leon on the other side of my screen.

"I'm so glad that you guys are okay…"

"Your words are very kind, Miss Skye," Panther purred. "It warms my heart that you care about our well-being."

"Has the pup made it out yet?" Wolf asked.

"Peppy is keeping an eye out for them." I turned my attention to the silent chameleon. "Leon, I'm glad you're okay too."

Leon gave me a huff then clicked off the com, leaving Panther and Wolf. It would seem that Panther wasn't going to stay on long though.

"You're an idiot, Kell," Wolf blurted out. "You could've died doing something stupid like running into a burning ship. What the hell is wrong with you?"

I watched Panther's obvious discomfort over the com.

"I'm afraid that is my cue to leave. Until next time, Miss Skye." Panther disconnected at that, leaving me to Wolf.

The look on Wolf's face was a cross between upset and worried. I wasn't about to let him make me feel bad for what I did.

"Would you have rather me let Peppy die?" I asked in an irritated tone. "My job on this mission was to be back-up. The whole point of me being here was so I would be there if shit hit the fan. Shit hit the fan, Wolf, and I was there. Peppy is alive and Darcy and I are fine."

"And if you didn't come out alive?"

"But I did."

" _Skye._ "

I blanched at the growl of my name. He said _my name_. Wolf never did that… I softened at the realization that he was simply worried about me. It was sweet and for some crazy reason, his concern made my heart swell.

"Wolf… I'm okay. A little smoke smudge won't hurt me and I managed to get Peppy out. It all worked out somehow."

"That's beside the point. Recklessness will get you killed. Didn't you learn anything the last time?"

Hurt flooded over me as I thought about "the last time" he mentioned. The gravity of his own words hit him.

"Shit, Skye… I didn't…" He let out a frustrated sigh. "I'm no good at this, I never have been. I just… I never thought I would care about someone so much and the very thought of you getting hurt like that again… It drives me insane. I know that you and I will never have a chance and I can live with that. But don't ask me to be okay with you putting yourself in danger. I will never be okay with it."

I didn't know how to react to his confession. I swallowed hard and tried to steady my pounding heart.

"Wolf…" my voice shook as I chose my next words carefully. "In another life, I would have happily been with you and given you one hundred percent of me. I know, right now, as I am, I wouldn't be able to do that for you. You deserve more than that. You deserve someone who would give you every part of them without hesitation. I can't do that for you…"

"Because your heart wants another?"

"Because my heart is confused!" I admitted. "I need my freedom, Wolf. For some reason, I feel like being with someone jeopardizes that and I… I just…"

Peppy called for me from the cockpit. Wolf overheard then let out a breath I didn't think he realized he was holding.

"I'll be around if you need me again," he offered. "You know where I'll be." He disconnected and the screen went black.

I took a minute to compose myself. I was a mess… My heart was a jumbled mess… He practically admitted that he loved me. Granted, he and I shared something that I shared with very few others but, there was still _something_ between us. I couldn't fight or ignore it. I also couldn't fight or ignore the strong feelings that I had for Falco. If I really admitted the truth to myself, I could even go as far as to say that I loved Falco. I loved Falco deeply. Between my own stubbornness and my love of freedom, I would never be able to admit it to him. I thought about my promise to Darcy… Don't lead him on, he said, especially if I didn't plan on giving Falco a chance. He was right… As soon as we got back to Corneria, I knew what I had to do.

I steeled myself and made my way back to the cockpit. Coming toward us were the silhouettes of four arwings. I smiled at the sight. As Peppy hailed them and began to chat, Darcy came to me. He looked me in the eye and realized something had changed.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

I nodded. "I will be. I think."

"Were Wolf and the others okay?"

I put a reassuring hand on his forearm. "I will tell you when we get home. I promise."

He looked like he wanted to push for more information but then let it go.

"Is Skye with you?" I heard my brother ask over the com.

"I'm here, Fox," I announced. "Welcome back to the world of the living."

"Glad you could make it, little sister."

"I would say anytime but, I think the old man is about ready to retire for good."

Echoes of laughter resounded through the com from the other pilots. Even Peppy gave a chuckle.

"I don't know about you guys," Darcy said, "but I'm ready to get back. I'm anxious to see how the General is doing."

Peppy and I agreed with my partner.

"Well," Fox said. "Team, let's go home. I believe I have a niece that's awaiting our return as well."


End file.
